Daybreak
by Otabe Yatsuhashi
Summary: To those who care: I am ashamed to say that I have not and most probably will not be able to write anything new any time soon. I am very sorry.
1. Default Chapter

**DAYBREAK**

**Prologue****__**

****

**S**he saw herself rise from the corner of her eye. The shattered pieces of glass reflected her faint figure on their jagged edges, giving her a ghostly look. She had stood up. She realized this now, though she did not know why she did, or where she was or what anything meant at all. It all felt familiar to her somehow, this dark dreary cell stretching out to infinity and yet closing her in with its invisible but solid borders, the cold chill that caressed her cheeks and arms when there seemed no wind at all, the pale glow of light that seemed to wrap itself on her body, and the pieces of shattered mirror and glass scattered around her feet, some wedged onto the black marble floor like teeth rising off an animal's jaws. She was no stranger to these abominations of her waking world. Only here could she see the irony of it all, that what she had lived was nothing more than a lie, an illusion made to deceive her weak heart and her frail soul in order for her to survive. That in fact, this was the real world and she would not last one day had she been thrown into it. It dawned into her, this thought, and she pondered on it for a while as she stood still, looking down. She was bathed in that eerie luminous light that seemed to be emanating from the very pores of her skin to flaunt its softness.  Had she been alone, would she survive her world? Would she survive this? She felt fear in her heart. She knew she wouldn't and she couldn't say it. It was the truth she had been running from and the truth this world had been trying to give to her all along, and for all its purity, she didn't like it.

                She saw something on her hands. She felt it, smelled it, she could almost taste its salty sting on her lips. It was as though it had crept up through her legs and unto her arms on its own will, leaving behind a trail of glimmering scarlet on her pale body. Yet she had noticed it only at that moment and its implications sank into her. Blood. Dark red blood, sweet nectar of life, on her hands, her legs, her feet, her white flowing dress now stained with its evil sheen, and her face, so innocently afraid of what she had suddenly realized, was tainted by its impure beauty, adding only to the whiteness of her skin. 

                Bur where did it all come from? She was trembling now, her body seemed as though it were about to break into pieces at the slightest touch. She had never seen anything as hideously obvious before. She was not aware of death in all its despicable forms. This death was not present to her in her world, her happy, safe world where she longed to return with all her might. But she remained in this desolate void and she felt true death for the first time. There it was, as though answering her questions, a body by the side of her feet, and one by one more appeared, so many lifeless corpses strewn around her. Why had she not seen them before? Perhaps they were just illusions played by her mind? No, it couldn't be. She knew they were real, and the light that once enveloped her alone shown upon these bodies as though it meant to awaken her to her surroundings. So real. She placed her hands on her lips. Trembling. Couldn't stop. Her legs began to buckle beneath her and her knees threatened to give way to such heavy helplessness, as her eyes were ready to give way to gushing tears. And they did. She fell unto her feet and she cried for all it was worth, and all it was for was her own misery. 

                And then it came. This haunting sound from the depths of this shallow grave, where she alone remained breathing, though for how long she could not tell. It came like a sharp wind, whistling in her ears, and then shouting, then roaring, then dying down again into a whisper. A song suited for this place, she thought, but not for her. She was still alive and she did not want to hear such an awful surrender to death! She was a creature of life and this was Hades and this song was the devil's song! It was mourning the souls in the underworld and it was mourning her soul as well, for it was torn and grieved and she felt that she would die. Her mind was swimming in a haze of panicked thoughts. Requiem. She had never heard it before and she ached for the deafening silence that had greeted her when she first saw this place. But it would not come. Perhaps she was a soul who could not accept her own inevitable destruction. She let her hands go limp and they dropped at her sides. She had touched something, something soft and yet firm at the same time. Smooth and lifelike, just like her skin. Not the cold floor, not the icy shards of glass, it had been warm once and it was warm still, though it was fleeting fast. She turned her eyes cautiously to her side where her hand lain. A gasp caught at her throat. No! Not this! Not him! God, let this be a dream! Her eyes grew wide with terror and her hands dared not to touch his still face. He would not move and she shouted and screamed as the song came louder. She placed her wavering hand on his cheek. The warmth she had felt was gone. He's dead! Her eyes welled up with tears. She took his shoulders and shook him, shook him with all the might she could muster up. No movement. She let him go and his head plopped down onto the floor, lifeless. She shook her head. She pounded at him, she slapped him, she screamed his name over and over again but he would not awake. Dead. No longer living. She threw herself at him and cried over his chest. _So cold_. And when she looked up, she saw that his eyes were still open and they stared past her, not seeing her at all, no longer looking at her but at nothingness, at death. No more love, no more life. Nothing was left for her but this empty shell, and there were more around her. She dared not look at them. She couldn't take more of this. She would not move at all. She would not leave him in this final moment. She took his head unto her lap and she cradled him with her cold shivering hands. Her face was pallid, almost as white as his, as though her blood had flowed from her as well when she saw that his has. She placed her chin on his hair, so fragrant even after death. She closed her eyes and she hummed with the requiem. Yes, it was appropriate after all, this frightening sound. _Mourn for him in my arms, dead, lifeless and utterly gone. Mourn for these bodies with no graves of their own, and no justice for their slaughter. Mourn for me for I am in Hades and I am alone. Mourn for me because I have lost all hope and all I feel is unbearable sorrow. Sing for me that I may die in peace and_ _find that they are with me after death._ She was humming her own requiem.


	2. Dark Horizon

**DAYBREAK**

**Chapter I**

**_Dark Horizon_**

**T**he birds were singing outside her window, as though welcoming her to a new day. She however was in no mood at all for their happy songs and felt that they were more of a nuisance than even her ringing alarm clock. She stood up languidly and looked out at the window. It has lost its spark, she thought as she placed her fingers nostalgically at its edge, then at her pink lacy curtains draped around it. 

"Pink, come to think of it, I've never really liked this damnable color." 

She slapped the curtains out of habit and annoyance and went towards her closet. A yellow stuffed animal came out of the lower drawer of her desk. She paid no attention to it and simply went on rummaging through her closet. She took out a crumpled piece of cloth which looked as though it had just came out of the dryer, but turned out to be her school uniform. She crinkled her nose in disgust and threw it at her bed. Dirty. Everything was a mess and it reflected her perfectly fine. Her whole life was a mess and she didn't really want to do anything about it at the moment. After staring at it for some time, she shrugged and consented on placing the dirty thing over her head. 

"It doesn't look as bad when you put it on, I guess." 

She put on her skirt and plopped unto her messy bed. She pulled on her socks, same wrinkly cloth just like everything else inside her room. She went towards the mirror and frowned at her reflection. She poked at her face, making strange expressions and gestures, pulling down her eye just for the heck of it, as she has seen others do on TV when they've had a lousy sleep and an even lousier waking. 

So this was she now, pale, thin, and with a hair trouble that followed her through every moment. Come rain or shine, it stood, it strayed, it flew to where it wanted to and she had had enough of running after it that she'd forgotten how to care at all. She pinched her cheeks to give herself a rosy look but the redness quickly faded and all it left her with was a sore face. Her frown grew even longer and she grabbed a comb from her desk. 

"Pink again! God! How many pink things do I have to have in this room before I realize what a totally awful headache it gives me? This is stupid!" She was grumbling in frustration.

She brushed her hair in a furious pace, pulling and tugging at caught ends and tangled strands. She took a black band from under a magazine sprawled over the counter and messily tied it on her hair. She let a few golden strands fall to her face and pinned up the rest with various small clips and hairpins, making her hair even messier than what it was before. She shrugged it off. She was in no mood to fuss over it and she'd rather face ridicule than comb her tangled locks again. She was late, and it wasn't the first time. 

                The small toy-like creature flew up beside her as if to speak but she waved up her hand as though she where merely attending to some bothersome insect buzzing around her face. His face fell but said no more. He knew her and he knew her moods. It would be at her best interests if she were to be left alone to sort things out by herself rather than be hassled around into telling her problems to other people who pretend to care but never really do. She was different now. No longer the smiling ever-optimistic child whom he had once called the Card Mistress. She doesn't even bring her cards out anymore, not even just out of habit or a sense of longing for the past. She has changed and perchance will continue to change as long as these things continue, giving her no rest, even at night. The Sakura he once knew so well and have grown to love was no longer here in the body of this beautifully disheveled teenage girl and even if she were, she would probably be asleep. It was a different side of her that animated this scrawny girl before him. He lowered his head as a sign of respect for her need of silence and sat down on the bed. 

                The girl greatly appreciated not being beleaguered so early in the morning and gave her little guardian a meek smile, which lighted up the little lion's spirit. He waved a small paw at her as she left but she didn't bother to look back. He didn't mind it all. He had gotten something far more than what he could expect from her at the moment.

                She went down the stairs and headed straight for their mustard yellow refrigerator. It was full, as usual, with unhealthy snacks and carbonated drinks, but it would be better than to starve to death while waiting for others to buy the grocery and cook some decent meals. Besides, these small packaged foods were convenient, practical, and portable, best for days when you're too late to actually sit down and have a meal, just like today. She took a bag of potato chips for her breakfast and one of those packed sandwiches you can buy cheap at a convenience store for her lunch. She grabbed a half frozen canned orange juice, one of the more nutritious things in their icebox if not the only, and stuffed it inside her lunchbox along with her food. She closed the ref with a bang and headed for the door. She glanced at her watch, 7:30. This day was getting worse by the minute. She placed on her skates, probably the only thing that hasn't changed in all these years, and raced towards her school.

*********

                She received odd stares and hurtful side comments when she opened the door to her classroom. She merely looked down and bowed to her teacher. He nodded silently and motioned her to her seat with his eyes. 

                They were snickering, these thickly powdered girls and those well-combed boys, just as they always do when she was near them. Just a few years back, she had cried every night in her father's arms and he had told her to be patient, to give it a chance and that all would end up well and she'd fit in. Well, two years had passed and damned these people if they thought she'd be a crybaby all her life. Nothing changed and she never fit in and suddenly, it all didn't matter. She hated these people, despised them for their snotty looks and their snotty attitudes, and just for being who they were as what came natural to them, being snotty stuck-up children who could buy their way into life with their parents' cash. She hated them even more than they hated her, she, the child of a mere professor, given a scholarship to their prestigious school when it was reserved for people like them. She was a disgrace to the school's name, and they made every effort to show her just that. Crybaby. Witch. She didn't belong here with them! They would drive her out if they had to make her life every bit as miserable as they could to do it. 

                But she gave them a hard stare, and her emerald eyes showed no hurt or shame. She was hard as a rock now and they couldn't budge her. She's been made hard by everything they had done to her and every misery she had come to know these past few years. She would not cry even if they ridiculed her, taunted her, played tricks on her for the sake of making her suffer. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of knowing they had done damage to her, her pride would not allow it, and so she stood firm to her ground and she learned to shut their irritating voices out. 

                They grew silent, perhaps disappointed that she had made no reaction whatsoever. Their teacher continued on with the lecture, explaining how the digestive system worked. Trachea, esophagus, down into the small intestine…., they all came as a blur to her. She smiled as she pretended to listen to the lessons, thinking of how much fun it would be to shove a large stone down their throats to stop them from snickering like mutts in a pound. She imagined slicing them up in pieces or twisting their intestines in a rod-like contraption with barbs all over to make the experience even more gruesome and unbearable. And she imagined herself laughing, not sickened, but maddened by the sight of their bloody corpses and their blood smeared on her hands and face, and suddenly she grew afraid. The dream had come back to her. So much blood everywhere. The lifeless bodies, shards of glass, that haunting noise from the depths of the earth, and his face, inanimate and pale in her bloody hands. 

She woke up. Her teacher was standing in front of her. She quickly sat up and was prepared to apologize when she realized they were the only two souls left in the room. The sun had just set outside the window, and the sky was bathed in red. Blood. Just like in her dreams. She dismissed the thought, yet found herself completely enthralled by the heaven's scarlet glow and she could not look elsewhere but at the sky. She heard her teacher speak and his voice was low but smooth, soothing like all men his age, in their prime are. She looked up at him, and saw in his eyes concern. He touched her face and at first she was surprised at the warmness of his hand as it stroked her cheek but soon realized that it was out of friendly manner and not of malicious intent. He had wiped off a tear that trickled down her face as she stared at the sky. She smiled in gratitude and he smiled back. She was amazed at how young he looked, and how handsome his chiseled face was and how soft his thin lips seemed when it reflected the fading light. Beautifully rouged and divinely kissable. Yet she was not drawn to him in that way was she? No, it couldn't be. It must be like her feeling towards Yukito. She wanted to be with him and take comfort in his words and his embrace, but a fatherly love was all she could and wanted to seek from them both. 

                "Why were you crying?" His tone was that of distress and paternal protectiveness and it gave his voice a fuller sound. He took a chair and sat down beside her.

                She looked at him with curiosity. Never had any man shared such an intimate question with her, except for her own father, with so much sincerity and care. He was careful not to press yet he showed interest in her answer and a willingness to wait until she had found it in herself to break the silence and speak. His face was like an open book and his eyes wandered off towards the sun. He was serene and content and absolutely beautiful. She stared at his eyes for just a moment and found that they had a most strange color to them, like the color of the sky at twilight or as it was now, almost like blood. But with a more heavenly gleam, she thought, like that of goodness that is hidden within a man's soul yet shines out through his eyes. At that moment, she fell in love with him, just as she fell in love with Yukito. She wanted to be near him, to be in his arms and to feel warmth in her cold limbs. And because of this want, she found the strength to talk. 

                "Maybe for the sky, maybe for myself." Her voice was hushed as though she told a precious secret. She paused for a while, not letting her eyes wander from his face, and then she continued. " It was bleeding but it looked so beautiful that I wanted it to remain that way forever. I know it's selfish but I wanted it that way. I wanted it to bleed more than anything else." It was perhaps an acknowledgement "I've never felt that way before. I was afraid I had lost myself." She looked down and one by one, crystal-like tears trickled down her face and stained her cheeks yet she looked even more beautiful in this frail state.

                He stared at her and again, the sincerity was there. His eyes were so clear that she could see herself in them. Her messy hair, her thin limbs, and her tear-stained cheeks, yet it was beauty that was reflected in his eyes, for he saw her as a creature of immense beauty, like a cherry blossom, stunning even as it falls down from its branches and lands on the ground. Just like that. A befitting name for someone like her, he thought, for he could not think of anything more beautiful and pure as she was than the cherry blossoms she was named after. And so he smiled, and his lips were smooth and inviting. He took her hand in his and he held it tightly.

                "It is beautiful and there's nothing selfish about wanting to appreciate beauty. It was given to us, after all, as gifts to be treasured and appreciated." He looked at the sky again. It had become darker now and the sun could no longer be seen over the horizon. Its last rays were reaching out towards the clouds yet it was quickly fading away. The blood was almost gone. "There's a fear in all of us, that we would loose ourselves to our inner demons. We're afraid of hurting people. It's human nature. But really, you can never be beaten as long as you do not give up. Because when you do, you surrender all your hope and all your love for the world that surrounds you and all that will be left is that demon, full of all the hate you've hidden. And only then would you have lost." He sighed a long soft sigh and his eyes grew more intent as he looked at her. "You will never loose. You are strong beyond your own thought. Believe that and believe that you will always have someone worth fighting that demon for." 

He smiled one last smile, and it looked to her as though it was a farewell of sorts and she was right. He placed her hand on the table and stood up. How gracefully he had done it. He was like a prince from a faraway place, tall and slender and handsome, yet wise as though he has lived years without count. It reminded her of her own brown-haired prince. She was sorry to see him leave. She wanted to stay in that moment for as long as possible and yet the moment was gone before she could even believe it was real. And he was gone and so was the warmth in her hands. She wiped her face and stood up. 

                "Maybe a dream," she whispered to herself as she placed her things into her bag and pushed back the chair under the table. But she stared at the seat beside her and she knew it was no dream. She had fallen in love with the man who had sat on it just a while back. It was a strange kind of love, and it confused her but she liked the feeling and she left it at that. She pushed back the chair as well to its proper place and she bid her knight a silent farewell. 

*********

                It was late when she returned home. She was about to open the gate when something caught her eye. She saw them, standing smugly by the gate. Four girls and three guys, all dressed as she was, in their high school uniform, and they seemed ready for a brawl. The tallest girl, the one with yellow hair and freckles on her face, was first to speak. Her voice was harsh and it reminded Sakura of a snake slithering and hissing as it went along. Sakura paid no heed to her. She walked towards the gate in an even pace, without any fear or anxiety. She was above these lowlifes, she reminded herself, as she placed the key into the lock. She heard a click and pushed the gate open but at once she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. It was her again, that foreign girl, and for all her golden locks and her expensive cosmetics, she looked as ugly as the snake she sounded like. Sakura turned to face her and sneered at her. She took her by the wrist. She held it tightly and the girl's grip began to loosen, and then all together withdrew from her shoulder. She turned her back on them and proceeded towards the gate but again she felt a hold on her shoulder, but this time stronger, firmer and painful. It was the redheaded boy from her class. He was tall, almost six feet at just the age of fifteen, with an iron grip no doubt as a result of his athletic training. He had a handsome face, especially when he smiled, but now it was distorted into a frightening grin. She knew she could not deal with him in the manner she had dealt with his blond friend. He was too strong and she herself was feeling weak and exhausted. She smiled at him and her eyes showed hate and mockery. 

                "What do you want? It better be good or you're wasting your time here." There was no fear in her voice and it further aggravated this young Hercules. He tightened his grip and this time he twisted her around so that she was facing the others instead of him, and he was behind her, pinning her right arm to her back. He took hold of her neck with his other arm and he was choking her. He had lifted her off the ground and she was now helpless against him and his companions. 

                She could hardly breathe and her right arm was numb behind her. Her left was of no use as it could barely make a scratch on his muscled arm. Her feet were dangling below her and she could feel that she was loosing consciousness. She tried to sputter out a few words for all they were worth. 

                "This the best you can do, dim-wit?" She smiled once more as if to show that she was not at all affected by his display of strength. He smiled too as he held her neck even tighter and her arm in an even more uncomfortable position. She cringed but did not yell. She swore no tear would come from her even if they killed her. She would not give them that pleasure. 

                The others stood closer before her. They had smirks on their faces and that gleam of victory in their eyes, like that of a predator when it stands over the corpse of its prey. And she was their pray and they held her in their power but she would not give them what they wanted the most and so this further inflamed their malice towards her. The blond one came towards her again as she struggled in her captor's hands. She could feel herself falling into the abyss but she held on with the last of her strength. She opened her eyes and she could see that this displeasured the girl and her friends very much. Were they really meaning to kill her? Have they lost their minds? But she did not let fear come into her heart. It was anger that she called forth and with it rage and the power she needed to hurt them badly if not in actions then in words.

                "Do you really think you could do it?" she asked in between gasps of breath. Her lungs were failing her but she continued on. "You think you'll get away with it just because daddy's rich? Think again assholes! Murder is murder and believe me, this is murder in the first degree. You'll hang for this and I'll be waiting in the other side to accompany you all to hell!" She tried to kick Matthew, the giant holding her, but found that she had no strength left except for words. Yet she swung her foot and luckily, it hit the blond girl square in the face and sent her down unto her knees. Her friends surrounded her and helped her up and her eyes looked as though they were the devil's eyes in her great anger. 

"Bitch! You'll pay for that!" She slapped Sakura on the face, over and over again until she felt her hands numb with the impact. Then she kicked her, right on her stomach and Sakura shouted in pain, but no tears came to her eyes. She was as determined as ever to see this through to the end. She brought out another smile, though it hurt her cheeks to move, which infuriated the girl even more. The others stood by, perfectly idle without a care in the world. They were merely there to watch, to enjoy the sport as you might say. It was the two who held her who had come with the intention of destroying her, Matthew and the blond snake! The foreign girl came even closer but before she could strike a blow, Sakura spitted on her face. The girl reeled with disgust and the spectators laughed. _God! It was like those games in ancient Rome when they killed people just for the fun of seeing them die in agony and dishonor. This is disgusting!_

The girl was deranged. She had been made a fool long enough. She took a metal pole that was leaning on the wall. "You're gonna die! I've had enough of looking at your stupid face! When I'm done with you not even all my father's money can put you together again!" With one fierce strike, she hit Sakura in the stomach again. Matthew had let go of her and she was now sprawled on the hard ground, cringing and holding her belly in pain. 

"Just as well!" Sakura sputtered as she balled up in pain. "I wouldn't lay a hand on your father's filthy money! It wouldn't be worth it!"

Again she struck her with the pole and Sakura felt herself cough and sputter out blood. She closed her eyes and she could feel the blow over and over again. They were kicking her now but she was past all feelings of pain. She was numb all over and she could no longer move. She could hear them laughing and screaming and taunting her. Everything around her was a haze, and she felt trapped in a nightmare she couldn't wake up from.

 And then quite suddenly she heard something apart from all the chaos that buzzed about her. An angelic voice, sweet and smooth became audible above the shouts of her hellish assailants. This voice was stained with anger and rage. A tint of disgust flowed through the almost melodious sound, which gave this voice more power and authority. It sounded so like thunder as it roared at the little devils that scampered out of its way, aware of the coming lightning that it heralded with its colossal call. She heard this voice but she could not perceive its words, but she felt an inexplicable peace come upon her as she felt it come closer. And so, she allowed herself to fall into the exquisite darkness and all at once, everything was gone, and she could no longer hear, or feel anything at all. 

_Sweet silence. Perhaps this is death. It isn't so bad after all._

*********

             When she next opened her eyes, a bright light greeted her. She smiled her sweetest smile. "I'm in heaven," she thought, "And there's no more pain at all." But it was quickly gone and the numbness disappeared. She felt unbearable pain all over her body and fear had crept up into her heart. Her emerald eyes grew glassy and fresh tears sprung forth from them. 

                She heard someone come in but she didn't care. She couldn't see anything but darkness and she thought that she was in Hades once more and that she would see the corpses heaped one over the other and she would find him dead on her lap. That was the worst pain of all and she shouted in fear of it. She felt someone hold her tightly, and she felt familiar warmth surround her body yet she continued to cry. She heard noises and sounds behind her and around her, they were saying something to her but she couldn't understand, just like the angel's voice before, their meanings were lost in the heavy mist that surrounded her mind. It was like they were speaking in a foreign tongue, which she could not hope to comprehend. But they were soothing to her ears. She knew there were good feelings behind these inaudible words and she let them envelope her until she felt that her tears had run dry. And the warmth still remained. It held her as a mother would hold onto child in pain and it caressed her cheeks and combed out her hair. Such large hands. Delicate and long fingers. "They seem so familiar," she thought "Papa?"

                Slowly she saw images come into form. A handsome man in his thirties was sitting beside her, holding her tightly in his arms as though she were the most precious thing in this world to him. How pale he looked and his eyes were sore and swollen and rimmed with red. "Had he been crying for me?" And he looked even thinner now than what she last recalled but his arms were strong and they supported her aching body. She found herself burying her face into his chest. Such a sweet smell, like roses in springtime and nothing like Hades. And it was then she knew that she had survived the ordeal and that she was once again with the people she held dear to her heart.

                She felt a hand on her head. _Another one, just like papa's. Long delicate fingers and soft large hands._ "Brother?" And she looked up and indeed it was he, though he too has changed so much since she had last seen him. He was pale and thin, like his father, and his dark brown hair was messy and tangled. His beautiful brown eyes seemed duller than usual but it gleamed with concern and happiness she knew was for her. She had never seen him like this but it was a comforting sight and she wished, had it not been for the terrible pain that this moment would linger on. There were others around. Friends, so many good friends she thought she had lost when she moved into that accursed school. She spotted a young girl, pretty with dark blue eyes and long dark locks and memories swept through her mind, and a name came instantly out. "Tomoyo." And there she was, standing silently at the corner, smiling serenely at her friend. Her smile had always meant so much to Sakura and she silently thanked her for it. Behind her was Chiharu, and beside her the ever-smiling Takashi. By the window were Rika and Mr. Terada. And by her other side, a handsome young man with silver hair, glistening in the sunlight, and heavenly brown eyes she had fallen for once. His smile was exquisite and it gave Sakura a newfound peace. She smiled back and slowly drifted off to sleep.  

*********

                And in her sleep she saw him. He was there with her, talking and laughing as they had so often done before. They would laugh about jokes and of Takashi's stories, they would laugh because it suited them to laugh and because they felt happy for no apparent reason. They would talk for hours of nothing in particular and yet they would understand each other perfectly well. They would smile forever as though their smiles were plastered unto their lips and their mouths could make no other form but this happy little curve. They would look up at the sky and talk of magic and ancestors and of things only they shared. It was bliss at that time. Euphoria. Everything was perfect. He would teach her math after school and they would go to his apartment, which never seemed to be untidy, and there they would wander off from numbers to how the stars looked or how the moon was so bright that night. And he would cook such delicious things from his homeland and they would dine together in that small dining room, and they would shyly cast glances at one another until their faces are so red that they simply look away. And in turn for his hospitality and help, she would invite him to her home and she would cook for him pasta and serve him tea with cakes. And Cerberus would come down in his cutely distorted form and would pick a fight with him, calling him a brat, and he, calling Cerberus a little toy, and she would simply get out of the way as not to involve herself. Then her brother would come and if indeed looks could kill, they'd have killed each other by then, until of course Yukito comes, and smiles his very charming smile, which would stop the two. And everything would be fine and they would merely laugh about it the next day in school, where he sat behind her and often helped her answer the teacher's questions. After class, they would eat together with their friends under the cherry trees and again they would laugh at Takashi's stories. And he would look at her and she would smile and indeed they were very happy with life.

                She opened her eyes once more and found that her cheeks were wet. She had cried in her sleep again, just as she had always done when she dreamt of him and their happy times. She looked at the ceiling, then around the room. White concrete walls, one large window at the side by which a table was rooted in its place and chairs around it. A small television was placed in front of her, up on the wall so that all may benefit from its entertainment. Around her, machines and instruments of different kinds, rubber tubes and hosing which led up to her arms where she saw needles poked into the flesh. And beside her, on her right side, she say a tiny black box with a screen, and it had green lines which moved up and down, she realized, in time with her heart's beating. She was in the hospital and she knew she was no longer in danger, yet the pain remained and it was still unbearable. She looked to her other side, and there she saw her father asleep. He had laid his head on her bed out of exhaustion and had fallen asleep. He seemed peaceful now, and much younger than he was as strands of his short light brown hair fell unto his face. They were alone now, in this room and she noticed that it was nearly dark, for the sky once more was bathed in that fading blood color. But this time, she did not look at it. Instead, she stared at her father and she brushed the fallen hair off his face. She was glad for him being there. She could not have stood to be alone at that moment. 

                The others came back later that night. She was able to sit up now, though her stomach ached when she did, but she bore with it so as to speak better and see better the people around her. She accepted a spoon from her father and drank down the soup he held out for her. It felt good as the warm liquid passed through her body, giving her heat especially in her stomach, which hurt the most. She remembered the pain of the first blow, and the second, and the third, and the numbness that came with the following blows. She closed her eyes to erase the feeling, yet it remained with her even in her sleep. 

                "How long have I been sleeping?" She rested her head on the pillow and looked up. 

                "Nearly a week now." It was her father who spoke. " Touya saw you lying on the ground unconscious, when he came home from the university. He said you were bloody and badly bruised when he found you and that he thought you were dead. He took you to the hospital and that's when he called me. Your friends came as soon as they heard." 

                "Who did this to you?" Touya had stood up, obviously angry and disarrayed. Sakura closed her eyes again. She tried to remember them, their smug faces and their nasty grins. She remembered the one who hit her, the ugly blond girl with a voice like a snake's, and the red haired boy, the one who held her, the one who nearly broke her arm and choked her to death, Matthew. 

                "From school. They had the same uniform as me. Matthew was there and a blond snake. I can't remember the others but there were many of them. They just stood and watched and they laughed when I spit on that girl's face." She looked to her side. It was painful even to recall. She didn't want to remember it but it came back over and over again as if it were automatically programmed into her mind to torment her if she had survived death. 

She held her face with her hands and she felt the many bruises. She was too pale now, much paler than she had been before, and she realized that she must have broken a rib or two, which would account for the horrible pain on her midsection. Then some shame came over her as she regained the feeling of soreness on her cheeks and the pain on her face. She turned altogether to her side. She didn't want to show her face. How ugly it must have been, raw and battered and disfigured beyond recognition by the unforgiving hand of that devil girl with the golden locks. How she hated her for it, for harming her face. She had not known herself to be so vain and she loathed herself for it. " I am a damnable thing, a lying wrench who is vain beyond all pretensions!" she thought to herself as she felt hot tears form at the bottom of her eyes.  She wanted them to look away. She wanted to hide. But her father's hand came down upon her shoulder gently, and he shook his head. 

                "You're as beautiful as ever. They'll never change that." He was smiling so proudly and it occurred to her that he was proud of her, for having survived against all the odds to be talking with him at this moment. For not leaving him as her mother had done in the past. He was proud because she fought death and she had won. But she was scared now, and she couldn't tell this to him. She was scared of death even more because she knew its pain. But he kept on smiling, and even when he looked away she knew that the smile remained and she was glad for that. 

                They left her when it was too late to do anything else but sleep and they all kissed her goodnight and said sweet things she knew were true. She smiled appreciatively at them, one by one, till only she and her father were left in the room once more. He brushed up his hair with his hand in a casual manner, and he looked like a teenage boy lost for words. He was handsome even with the lines under his eyes and the few silver hairs that had appeared on his head. It was a kind of beauty that not even time could erase; on the contrary, it was enhanced by time for now he looked like a god lost in the land of the living. He sat beside her again, and he bent down and she felt the touch of his warm lips on her forehead. It had been a while since he last did it and memories of happy childhood flooded her with warmth. But soon came more recent memories, of being left alone in the house, of having no one to talk to, of loosing him, and she was left with the coldness she had started with. But she savored his kiss for who knows when he will kiss her next? He may be too busy once more with work to come tuck her in at night. She was not mad at him at all for being busy, she understood why he did it, but the misery it brought her was painful nonetheless and she had no one to blame. _It's a frightening thing to be thrust into the real world so quickly where real pain and sorrow can overcome you at any moment, and in that world you know that you are alone and no one would help you, and if you lose yourself there's just no coming back._ She was here now, in this real world, but she found that her notions about it might not be entirely true. Yes, there was so much pain, and sorrow, and fear, but she was never alone. Because everyone else was in the real world and all they could do to survive was to hold on to one another.   


	3. A Mother's Love

DAYBREAK Chapter II A Mother's Love  
  
She thought she was awake but she had drifted off into her dream world once more. She did not realize that this place was her Hades until she saw the bodies. She stifled a cry. Somehow, they looked more revolting than ever before in their silence, like they kept a secret behind their dull eyes that had brought them to their graves. She could not bear to look at the blank faces of these corpses. Their eyes were wide open, as though they never knew what had happened when death came to their doors and they answered. They were slaughtered like mere sheep and cattle upon the day of the feast. She could not bare their stares so she quickly looked away.  
  
At once she saw that something had changed. Above her, there appeared a sky where infinite darkness had once been. It was red, like the sunsets she had so loved to watch. But it gleamed with all the spite of death, and it seemed that the sky itself had been dyed this terrible color, that the sun was not at all at fault for this occurrence. It would not fade, though she stared at it for minutes then hours before she knew. The color grew deeper as it stretched out towards the heavens for as far as her eye could see. It seemed that blood flowed through the very sky and it would never stop. She saw that the ground had reflected the sky's color and everything was in her eyes, crimson. She herself was no longer pale and colorless, but enveloped with a scarlet light that would not disappear. And she saw that in her hands there was a large piece of glass, so sharp she thought it would cut her hand, and that blood dripped from it relentlessly with no seeming end. She saw that those bodies had been slit at the throat though no blood came from the wound. The blood would not stop, and she let the blade fall to her feet out of sheer revulsion. It did not break but remained solid and menacing as it continued to bleed. She backed away from it; she could feel nausea churning in her stomach. It came through her throat before she could stop it.  
  
She held her hand upon her mouth to stop a second wave of sickness that she could feel was climbing up her throat. It was all too appalling. "Make it stop!" But it was the requiem that answered her call, though it sounded so different from the first. It did not mourn for the slaughtered, it laughed for their death, just as those villains laughed when they saw her suffer in their hands. It was boasting its power; it was rejoicing their deaths, and it was as menacing as the bloody glass and the wide staring eyes of the corpses. She had to get away! She backed even more, but found that she had tripped over something and had fallen to her feet. She looked and saw that he was staring at her and he had, like all the others, a bloodless wound on his throat. She looked at her hands and the blade was once more within her grasp. It was dripping all over her, bathing her with their blood. She wanted to drop it once more, to let it go, but she could not will her hands to obey. It was as though the blade had found its place within them. It seemed to be a prefect fit. A horrifying realization formed within her mind.  
  
"I killed them." It was barely a whisper but it was like a dagger thrust into her heart. Her tears flowed freely down her face. And all around her, voices rose from their bodies and screamed at her. It was a horrendous pitch, which sent shivers through her bones. She started to wail and cry but to no avail.  
  
Then she saw that these corpses were not at all faceless. One had soft auburn hair like hers and long beautiful fingers. Over him, a pretty girl with long dark hair and at her side, a young boy with slanted eyes. She looked down at him, the brown haired boy whom she had loved, and she saw that beside him was a tall man, with darker hair than even his. She knew that she had caused all these though how and why she cannot recall. She was a murderer and she had killed so many people, people who cared for her and were dear to her. And she saw that she had killed thousands more, though their names she could not say. She knew that they were innocent like her father and brother, but she had killed them all with equal malice and strength, which she did not know she contained. How dreadful it all was that she wished she were dead as well.  
  
She stared at the ugly piece of glass on her hand. She was shaking even harder than before but her wailing had stopped and her sobs were small as though muffled by her own sorrow. She could no longer find tears in her eyes. They had all dried up and were she to cry once more, she feared that they would be red like everything else around. She wanted none of it.  
  
She held it up. Again, her arms shook and her hands threatened to release the beastly thing before she could do her work. But she held on, determined to do at least this one task with her full knowledge. She knew her courage was faltering and once again the fear of death crept into her mind. Still, she would not let go of the blade. She placed it at the side of her throat. Small beads of blood trickled form the scratches made by her unstable hands. Finally, she took a deep breath and gathered up all her strength. She stuck it at her neck and for a split second she felt absolute pain. Then pulled it all the way towards the side so that she created a deep gash just like the others'. She knew she was dying when she felt the shard fall from her hands. She fell beside him and her eyes slowly closed.  
  
And then, she woke up.  
  
I'm alive? She had woken up with a start and she heard the echo of her screams still lingering within the enclosed room. Already she could hear the patter of feat as they struck the hard tiles of the halls. They were coming fast towards her room. She felt the sudden urge to hide. How could she explain what brought out such hellish sounds from her mouth? How could she tell them it was all a terrible dream if she herself believed it to be real? But her door soon opened and one after another, men and women dressed in white robes piled into the cramped little space that was her room. She felt shame in all its disgusting glory.  
  
Over and over they asked her what had happened and over and over she said it was merely a dream. But they looked at her with disbelief and tried to gather the truth for themselves. They lifted her hands and checked her pulse. They stuck more instruments unto her body, more wires on her chest and tubes in her arms. They would investigate the little black box beside her then leave, and then look back once more as though it held all the answers that man ever asked. More came, women in tight white uniforms, with basins of steaming water, fresh towels and clean sheets. At once, they flocked around her, as though she was a babe, utterly helpless and incapable of caring for herself. And these nurses wiped her sweaty face and arms with fluffy towels soaked in the hot water. Their warmth gave her momentary peace and soothed her nerves, so she gave into their pampering without further protest. She lifted her arms when they asked, and then her head that they might place a new pillow below it. When everyone else was gone, one nurse remained to change her clothes. She could see that they were damp with sweat and they had a faint stench of death about them that only she could smell. The nurse tried to take off her undergarments but she covered herself in protest. For god's sake, she was fifteen! She would not tolerate being undressed by other people other than herself. The woman merely smiled, and small dimples on both cheeks manifested themselves on her plump oval face. And with almost a swift grace Sakura could not catch, she took off the last of her garments and dropped it unto the floor with the rest of her wet clothes. Sakura's face turned a bright shade of red, as though she were struck by a fever. She looked down and saw that her small breasts lay bare. She was naked waist up and she quickly covered herself with her blanket. Again, the woman merely smiled, as though it was a normal occurrence to her. She took a towel from the table beside her and soaked it with the warm water in the basin. She twisted off the excess liquid and all at once she was wiping the astounded girl's arms.  
  
"Don't think much about it," she said as she went on with her work. "We're both girls here, you know, and you haven't got anything that I don't, and bigger," she said with a wink. All at once, Sakura's face colored, and the deep scarlet blush extended even to her neck. She looked down again at her own small chest and wagered it didn't even come to half the size the woman's were.  
  
"Well don't fret about it. It will come in its due time. Didn't think I had these things when I was fifteen, did you?"  
  
Once more, she dipped the cloth into the water and then proceeded to wiping the girl's legs. This time, she made no protest. Sakura felt an odd link with this persistent nurse and she felt her embarrassment slowly melt away. She looked at her curiously, like a rabbit would when it meets a child for the first time. And she knew that they would get along quite well, she and this nurse who tended to her like she was her child. All at once she felt the old nostalgia come back to her. It surprised her a bit. It had been so long since she last felt such a longing for her mother's embrace. And this was exactly what it felt like, a mother cleaning her child. How sweet it was while it lasted and she thought for a moment that it was her mother's beautiful face, which smiled at her lovingly, but the image faded and she saw that it was the nurse' instead. But she didn't mind it. It seemed as though time had slowed down as the woman gently wiped at her sweat-drenched body, but then all too soon she was done. She helped Sakura into a new gown and then tucked her in.  
  
As she took the dirty pile from the floor and placed it into the basket at the bathroom, Sakura studied her intently. She was probably in her late twenties, she thought, She had short black hair, cut just below her ears, which flaunted her long delicate neck. She was slender in build and Sakura guessed that running around such a busy hospital helped keep her in shape. When she turned back towards the bed, Sakura saw that she had pretty brown eyes, lighter than his in color though. She shook her head. She did not want to think about him just yet, his lifeless stare was still fresh in her memory and it would only sicken her to recall. Instead, she focused her gaze on the woman who was now busying herself with cleaning up the mess the doctors had made. She was humming to herself a little song and she seemed quite cheery for the time of night.  
  
"Don't you get tired?" Sakura finally blurted out. The nurse looked up at her surprised then quickly, the serene smile came back.  
  
"Of what in particular?" she asked.  
  
Sakura shrugged. She hadn't meant to say anything at all and so she had put no thought in her question. She merely wanted to blurt something out to distract her from her thoughts. "I don't know. Of taking care of so many helpless people, I guess. Of being a mother to so many people."  
  
"No, not at all." She answered with such sureness that it astonished Sakura. "I like taking care of people. It makes me feel as though I'm worth something, and besides, I've always wanted to be a nurse ever since I was young. I'm glad I got my dream."  
  
"Good for you." Sakura could hardly say anything else. The woman had been so sure of herself and she was sincere to the bone. She loved her work, Sakura could tell, and could see that it truly gave her happiness to help others. Sakura wished she had that kind of conviction. Not too long ago, she did, but it had all withered away with him. She wished once more to regain her childhood innocence and stubbornness.  
  
"Would you tell me what you dreamt? It must have been awfully dreadful for you to have screamed like that. By the gods, we heard your shouts from the other wing and it woke up a good number of our near deaf patients! We all thought a catastrophe had struck, like an earthquake or a fire! I almost had a heart attack!" There was a slight mocking tone to her voice, but it was more of sarcasm than accusation. Sakura blushed and looked down at her hands yet she held her silence. How could she tell this complete stranger about her dreams when even her father didn't know, and surely she was closer to him than she was to her? True, she liked this woman, but not enough to tell her everything lest she thinks of her as crazy and leave. No, she didn't want that but she didn't want to lie as well. She felt somewhat bad at the thought of lying to her new acquaintance.  
  
At last she spoke. "A nightmare. I don't remember what it was about, only that it had scared the hell out of me."  
  
"And a whole lot of people as well," the nurse quickly added, her eyes dancing with mischief. "Like I said before, you woke up nearly the entire hospital, even the really sound sleepers and mind you, that's quite hard to do!" she said with a chuckle as she sat down once more on the chair beside her patient's bed. "Yup! I've never heard anything the likes of it. It sounded painful in itself! You had a lot of people worried, you know."  
  
Again Sakura looked down. She hadn't meant to cause a ruckus. Indeed, if she had known how to stifle her screams, she would have done it. But none the wiser, she didn't know how. She mentally kicked herself for causing such a commotion. She swore she'd never shout again, if she were given the authority upon it!  
  
"Was it really that bad? I didn't hear myself at all until I woke up and heard the echoes in my room. But I didn't think it was that loud." Sakura was almost mumbling to herself, so embarrassed was she to have panicked everyone with her screams. She heard a small snicker. She saw that her nurse hid a smile under her hand and she didn't know whether to feel relieved or hurt.  
  
"Well, no use worrying about it. What's done is done." She stood up and patted at the creases of her white skirt. She placed the chair back to its rightful position, under the table, and slowly crossed the room towards the door. She flicked the switch and all at once, the room became dark, though the light, which spilled forth from the hallway through the open door illuminated her sole figure. "Goodnight." She said with a smile and then quickly said a few more words before closing the door. "It's fine if you don't want to tell me now, but you'll be here for a while on account of your injuries, and when you feel ready, you can tell me then. I'm not the sort to give up on a good secret quite easily." She had winked once more when she was done.  
  
*********  
  
The days flew by like minutes. She had hoped the pain would as well, but it remained as though her constant companion. Every night she would get those blood dreams, as she now called them in thought and with each night they became more vivid, more lifelike, and more real to her. Her senses ran wild in her dreams, and everything she felt, tasted, smelled, and saw, was blood, and all she could hear was that deafening requiem ringing in her ears. She dreaded sleep above all the painful needles and the tiresome tests, which occupied most of her day. She knew no true rest at night and even when she dozed off during the afternoons, the dreams would haunt her. Yet she never grew accustomed to them though she had seen them countless times. Instead, she became more and more terrified of them, scared that she could no longer pull out of it the next time, or the time after that. It seemed with time that whatever caused her to have these dreams became more powerful. She was soon tiring herself out and the dreams began taking their toll.  
  
She had been in the hospital for a two whole weeks now and she grew worse with each passing day. The doctors were baffled. She should've been better by now. Her injuries have healed remarkably and soon hardly any trace of the attack was left on her body, yet her health deteriorated at an alarming rate. She felt she was dying and it sickened her. She didn't want to die a sick man's death.  
  
The nurse was with her every moment of the day. She took it upon herself to dress the little girl, to wash her clammy skin, to comb her tousled hair, and to bring her company whenever she could spare the time. Her eyes were full of worry whenever she looked at Sakura who was now as thin as a scarecrow. Her cheekbones were jutting out, and her wrists were as small as a stick, yet no scar or blemish could be seen on her pale skin. She worried for this child as she might worry for her own and she wished with all her heart that Sakura might survive. She was too young to loose her hold on life.  
  
When she had reached her worst, only the nurse stayed with her as they waited for her father. The other doctors and nurses felt they couldn't stay. Sakura was having a hard time breathing, her chest heaving as though it required such a great effort. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead, then unto her cheeks and neck. She was cold as ice to the touch.  
  
The nurse wiped at her furiously. Her hands were shaking as well. When Sakura opened her eyes, she saw that the woman was crying.  
  
"What's wrong?" her words were soft and meek, her voice had lost all its tenacity.  
  
The woman looked at her. She couldn't stop. Her eyes were streaming with tears and it occurred to Sakura that hers were as well. She thought of her mother. Could my mother have cried like this if I had died before her? These were tears of a mother for her child, she thought, and she suddenly felt something worth holding onto in this life. She wanted at least to feel a mother's touch though she was not her own, just the care of a mother for her child like she has never felt before.  
  
"Don't worry about it. I'm not going to die." Sakura strained herself to sit up but found her arms to weak to support her. The nurse placed her hands on her shoulders, telling her to lie down.  
  
She smiled besides her tears. "I know. And I'll do everything to help. Don't leave your father. He needs you. I don't ever want to see another parent loose their child. It's painful beyond all words."  
  
A long silence passed by, then Sakura spoke.  
  
"You lost yours, didn't you?" she asked, her voice even softer and unsure than before. Sakura felt all the more drawn to this woman's sorrow, as though it were the common bond that had made them so close. "You lost a child, didn't you, Nami? That's why you take care of people so much! You weren't able to save your child!"  
  
Nami bit her lips as more tears flooded her eyes. She nodded as if to say, "Yes, I did", and, "It was all my fault." But Sakura shook her head and smiled at her warmly. It was no accusation, merely an awareness, which she wanted to confirm.  
  
Nami's voice quaked but resolution glowed in her misty eyes. For some reason, she wanted to tell this child her story, if only it would give her the will to live.  
  
"I was a foolish little girl like my mother said. I played around. I didn't know what I was getting into until it was too late. A college boyfriend raped me and I bore his child but I didn't hate it. I hated the father but this was my child, I wanted to keep it! A little boy, he was all I had to call my own. My mother disowned me when I told her I would keep the child and she threw me out of the house without a single cent. This child was all I had left that kept me living. I had to survive if only to see him live a better life than I did. And he was such a beautiful child, with auburn hair like his father's and amber eyes like mine. But he was sickly, three months premature and the doctors said he wouldn't survive the cold for very long. He was only two when he died. He hadn't even learned to speak!" She paused. She was choking on her tears. "Do you know how painful it is for a mother to lose her child, for me to lose everything that's worth living for? I don't want to see that kind of pain again. Not in anyone at all. That's why I do this. Because I don't want to see people lose those they hold dear. I don't want to see them cry like I did when I lost my child." She placed the heels of her palms unto her eyes as she struggled to stop her tears.  
  
Sakura moved her hand towards Nami's and Nami took it into her own. She held it tightly as though she would never let go. Just as long as she kept awake, she thought, she would hold on to her hand. Just keep awake, was all that repeated in her mind.  
  
"What was his name?" Sakura asked. She smiled serenely now, as though she was at peace.  
  
"Shinta, after my father."  
  
"He sounds as though he was very handsome. You were very lucky. I'm sure he's looking down at us from heaven, with my mom." She was surprised at herself. She had long forgotten about heaven. She had given up hope that her mother took care of her from there and here she was, preaching her old notions and fairytales about it. How very ironic it all was. She grinned as though she mocked herself.  
  
There was a sound of regret in Nami's voice as she spoke. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. I didn't mean to make you remember."  
  
Sakura laughed, though it was soft and somewhat pitiful. "Don't mind it. After all, I did it to you too and besides, I was very young when she died. I hardly remember her at all." She kept the smile on her face to reassure her friend.  
  
"I'm glad." Nami smiled as well. And soon after they were both giggling then laughing. It just seemed the right thing to do at the moment and they both felt lighthearted, as though a heavy burden had been lifted from their shoulders as they each told their secrets. Others came in, surprised at the sudden uplift in their spirits. It seemed that everything was fine now and they all felt as though a sudden miracle had been made. Sakura now had more color in her cheeks and her eyes had more life. They ran their tests once more, and indeed the results showed that she had improved. But her condition remained critical, even after the slight improvement. They were not out of the woods yet, as the doctors would say. And when it seemed that the miracle could do no more, they left her in peace with Nami.  
  
"You're going to make it," Nami said reassuringly. "I believe in you. It's all in the mind. See," she lifted up Sakura's arms and pointed out the places where her bruises had been. They were almost gone now, invisible unless you stared. "You're healing at a remarkable rate. We've never seen the likes of it. When you first got here we thought you'd die the very next day, but you proved us wrong. You have the strength in you and all you have to do is use it. Find the will to live. You have magic in your veins!"  
  
Sakura was dumbfounded by what she had said. Magic in your veins. How could she have known? "I don't know what you're talking about!" she quickly stammered. "I don't believe in magic."  
  
Nami looked at her, and there was pain in her eyes. She shook her head and tears flew from her face. "No, you're wrong! I believe in magic and I believe there is some magic in you! I believe you have a strong will to live and you have courage in your heart. I believe because you gave me happiness again when I thought I had nothing left. You made me feel wanted, needed; you gave me something worth living for! And if that if that isn't magic, I don't know what in the world is! Don't you see? You have magic in your heart," she placed her hand above Sakura's heart and more tears flowed. "Because you are dear to so many people! And no matter how much you feel that it is breaking, it's still strong and precious. It's what keeps you alive!"  
  
Sakura fell silent. How could such a woman believe in magic so much when she herself has suffered the harsh reality of life? How could she believe in her when she herself no longer believed in herself? But she felt in her heart that it was all a lie. Somewhere in her soul, she still believed in the magic was that flowed through her veins. She had forgotten about it. She hated herself for that. How he would laugh if he heard her say this. She who was as stubborn about magic as this woman was. The Card Mistress, not believing in magic. He would think it was a pitiful joke and so would she. She realized that she had been living a lie all these years.  
  
"I used to believe it." That was all she could say but when she saw the hurt in Nami's gaze she quickly added, "But maybe.. I can believe again." That was enough. She saw gratefulness in Nami's amber eyes. She nodded as she took both Sakura's hands in her own and pressed it to her cheek. How endearing this gesture was, as though they were truly mother and daughter reunited. And she smiled as she did this; Nami thought she had found her child again.  
  
Hurried footsteps on the hall, her father had come. The door quickly opened and he came in, shaking and gasping for breath. "He had run", she thought, "just to see me." His light brown hair stuck to his forehead and his red face trickled with sweat, yet it lost all its color when his eyes fell upon the pitiful sight of his daughter. They filled with tears as he slowly stepped towards his child. He could not believe it. How could she have taken such a turn for the worse? The doctors had said she would be fine and yet here she was, bedridden and dying. She was pale, and only her emerald eyes gave any sign of life. Just like her mother, beautiful even as she travels towards death's door. He knelt down beside her and the nurse respectfully moved out of the way.  
  
"So how are you doing?" He was choking down sobs as he spoke. He struggled to keep a courageous face for his daughter. He would be strong for her.  
  
Sakura smiled, like the smile she had given Nami just a while back, reassuring and hopeful. She saw the light dance in his eyes. She knew he had understood. "I won't die." She repeated her words. And she grinned even more. She tapped her head playfully with two of her fingers and drew in a breath before she spoke. "It's all in the mind." She grinned and Nami smiled back for she knew that that little line had come from her very lips.  
  
Her father nodded and though streams of tears flowed down his gaunt cheeks, they were now more of hope than sorrow. He recalled again how like her mother his daughter was. How they had the same fire in their emerald eyes, and how they had a kind of glow that never faded, even unto their worst health. They carried life with them to the last breath and yet he saw that this was not his daughter's time. She saw determination in her eyes. The will to live was stronger in her than it was in her mother. She would survive somehow; she would make a miracle for them all. And he smiled a handsome smile for all his optimistic thoughts and this gave more courage to Sakura. She heard Nami's words once more. Don't leave your father. I don't ever want to see another parent loose their child. It's painful beyond all words! She had resolved to live. She did not want to make her father feel the pain that Nami did when she lost her child. She refused to be the cause of her father's tears. It's all in my mind.  
  
"Where's brother?"  
  
"I told him to stay home. You know how hysterical he gets when it comes to you. I told him I'd call if things turn for the worse, but I expect them to turn for the better." A serene smile played on his lips and again she thought that he seemed like a god. He looked into her eyes for affirmation and she had given him all that she could. He knelt down by her side, unmoving and still, tightly clasping her hands in his. He seemed a statue of white ivory then, so white was his face with worry though hardly any lines of age could be seen, and he looked all the more solemn in his pious position. Her heart cried for him.  
  
He stayed with her through the night as she struggled even more to breathe. But the strength with which she held unto his hand reassured him of her will to survive and he held on even more tightly as though to say, "I know you will." Nami stayed behind them both, relishing the heartwarming scene. She saw herself as she had been in the final moments of Shinta's life. How his small fingers tightly curled unto hers and how he fought to breathe, his small chest expanding to their full capacity, then retracting once more only to show his bones obtruding through his skin. So small and frail was he that she feared to even touch him as she might only hurt him by accident. She struggled to fight back the tears as she recalled the awful sound of that small black box, that one flat tone extending unto forever, and that line that remained still, unheeding of all her cries and pleads. "Breathe! God, he's only a child! Just let him breathe!" She could still remember her screams as the doctors pushed her aside and as others pulled her from her child. She clung on to his little fingers. "You can't leave me!" She could feel the hot gush of tears that streamed down her face, and she could see the horrid pity in people's eyes as they looked at her and that small box which held her child. And at last, that feeling of utter hopelessness as she saw her child lowered unto the earth, and covered with dirt. It all felt so final and she felt the desolation within her soul.  
  
She looked once more at these two pale figures, so similar to herself and her child. She wished with all her heart that the outcome would change. She would not lose another child, she thought to herself as she took a spare blanket from the cabinet. They had fallen asleep, these two, yet their hands remained intertwined. She looked at the man, handsome with hardly a fault in his face, except for a few lines of worry on his forehead and under his eyes. He seemed the man Shinta could have become were he given the chance to live, and this saddened her even more. She placed the blanket carefully over his shoulders and with her own lace handkerchief, wiped the dried tears off of his face. She smiled at him, as though she were smiling at her own son, though this man was older than herself. She slowly went towards the door, and with one last glance, she flicked the lights and closed the door, bidding the pair a good night's sleep.  
  
*********  
  
She heard a voice as she wailed in her bloody world. The blade fell from her hand. She stared at it as it glittered with the heaven's red light. It was as menacing as before but she no longer felt a part of its malice. She was merely aware of it and of its existence. She was not a killer.  
  
She looked around. Surely she had heard someone's whisper! She had heard someone's words. You are not a killer! You must live! Who could it be? Her father? No, the voice was deeper, more soothing, and with so much power. It was familiar to her. She knew who it was yet she did not know his identity. But she felt hope rise in her as the voice grew stronger and she struggled to stand besides the pain of the shards beneath her feet. She took a step, then another, and another, her arms reaching out towards the voice. She wanted to hold it. She wanted to keep the peace that it brought her, the sanity, which she sought the most. Again, the pain came. The entire floor gleamed with the devilish shards and her feet were bloody. She fell down and she felt the icy blades tear through her flesh. She screamed in agony and once more the voice came, as though heeding her call. Find the will to live! You must live! How strong the voice was, and it gave her strength to bear the pain. And once more, she struggled to stand, though the blades dug deeper into the flesh of her feet. She felt cold, and almost withering, like she herself was nothing more than glass, about to break at the next fall. It was sheer determination that drove her, along with the voice. She had left a trail of bloody footprints behind her. Her feet had gone numb. "Just one more step," she told herself, "just one more step." She lied to keep her feet moving. Just one more step! Just one more! But the pain grew unbearable and once again, she fell, only to be received with even more blades of glass and ice. It ripped through her skin, and she saw that she was covered with her own blood. She cried in pain and she let herself lie beaten upon the floor for she had lost all her strength.  
  
She placed her cheek upon the cold ground. She could see from the corner of her eye that it swam in a pool of her own blood, which gushed out through the heavy wounds on her face. She stared at it and once more, she felt the old helplessness come back and emptiness cover her whole. She heard the voice one more, urging her to move forward, to live! But even before it could give her strength, that horrid noise drowned it out. The requiem played in its full force, as though it fought the unknown voice for control over her. She wished with her entire being that the voice would prevail yet all she heard were the screams of countless restless souls and the laughter of their murderer. It was the requiem she heard, which rang in her ears and she buried her bloody face in her hands and cried. And all at once, the terrible noise stopped.  
  
She felt a being over her yet she was scared to look up. She felt warm hands on her arms as it helped her rise. She sat up, as she stared at this being. She realized it was covered with light, blinding white light, and she squinted her eyes at its intensity. The being was warm, as it knelt down beside her and cupped her face in its hands. It smiled; at least she thought it did, for the being had no face with which to smile. It was merely beautiful beyond all words. It wiped her tear-stained cheeks and dusted of the dried blood, and it brought her closer to itself. All at once, she felt warmth surge through every fiber of her being, she felt herself enclosed in a safe place. It held her in its arms, and she rested her face upon its chest and she felt life within her, as she never had before. She was alive!  
  
She slowly opened her eyes. She felt better, though her mind was clouded, and her vision misty. Her breathing was easier, as though the weight had been lifted from her chest. Just in my mind. She new she would live, as she had promised Nami and her father. Someone had helped her; she knew it for the being that cradled her just moments ago was completely alien to her mind. She savored the warm tingling feeling in her cheeks where the being held her and she wondered who it was. She remembered the feeling of familiarity though the answer eluded her whenever she tried to grasp it. Were the dreams gone forever? No. She felt her mind answer as soon as she had asked. She knew they would come back but tonight was her night of peace and she wished to relish it. How awful it felt to have survived it only to be brought back to it the following night, but she was now too weak to even care. She was falling into the first sweet slumber she had had in years. She fell asleep, a grateful smile upon her lips. 


	4. Tomoyo

DAYBREAK Chapter III Tomoyo 

****

****

**S**he fell to her knees, her left hand tightly clutching her chest, her right groping at the wall to find something with which she could raise herself up. The white stucco wall held no such relief. It was too smooth, too perfect, the way her mother had wanted the mansion to be. And now this perfection had become her undoing. She struggled to stand but her legs buckled and she fell once more. The pain in her chest was mounting and her heart hammered at her breasts. She could hardly breathe. The room around her became a blur as she felt cold sweat drip down her face. She felt almost weightless, as though she had no arms and legs to control. She was falling fast and she had nowhere to reach out. But then she fell back into herself and once again she felt the agonizing tug at her heart. It was pumping as hard as was possible and the echoes of her heartbeat throbbed in her head. It was almost too much to bear and she thought that she would not pull out of this one. She closed her eyes, ready to give in to the next painful tug, but it never came. Her heartbeat began to slow and her head no longer pounded. Her breathing became natural and all at once, she regained control of her body. She slumped down on the floor, wiping the sweat from her brow. She stared out at the sky through the large French windows, which lined that particular hall of the wing. A sudden thought came into her mind. _Sakura must be seeing this too. _The sun had just set under the horizon and the sky glowed like a wondrous painting. Pinks and purples lined the sky, a pale golden light still hung on the clouds and the sky itself seemed a mixture of oranges, hues, and reds. It looked almost disturbing were it not for its beauty. She gazed at it for a while longer until she found strength in her legs once more to stand up.

                She stayed close to the wall, using it for support as she walked through the entirety of the hallway and into the main wing. More large windows lined the enormous room, which was built to be the center of their massive estate. Two great staircases extended upward in a graceful spiral, their newly polished wood gleaming with the last rays of the sun. She rested her arms on one of them, the one on the left. It was nearer to her room and she felt the need to sleep. She seemed sapped of all energy and had only the will in her legs to keep her from falling. She sought the comforts of her own soft bed and dreamed of plopping down into its fluffy pillows and smooth beddings. She could almost feel it! But she was still at the bottom of the stairs, staring helplessly at the daunting task of climbing its many polished steps. She wished she could sleep were she was but then again, her mother would not approve of it. So she gathered up the last of her strength, promising herself a rewarding sleep if only her legs would carry her as far as her room. She'd crawl the rest of the way if need be.

One by one, she tackled the steps, her legs shaky and unsure, yet she managed to reach the final step. She then turned to her right, hugging the wall once again for support. She noticed that the purple Russian rug, which stretched out the entirety of the hallway, was very clean and almost spotless. It seemed quite inviting, soft as it was. But as she reached the end of the hall she realized how near she was to her destination. With one last effort, she dragged herself, making another right at the bend, and at last, she saw her pretty white door come into view. She opened it and went directly towards her inviting bed. She threw herself unto the soft mattresses, pillows, and blankets. She felt the tension ease from her body as well as her mind and her eyes slowly closed. She fell asleep.

*********

It was nighttime when she next opened her eyes.  The moon was full and high outside her window, and she smiled as she remembered the countless times she had seen it with her friends. And she remembered one friend in particular, a boy, with chocolate hair and a set of deep brown eyes. She had always associated the moon with him, though why she could no longer recall. Perhaps it was that very first night when she saw him in battle, and the moon had been as full as tonight's. She sighed. She felt an ache in her heart, not the kind that she had suffered just before, but a deep sadness. _Poor Sakura. She must still miss him until now. We all do. _And then it came to her that she had had a dreamless sleep. She closed her eyes in a short prayer and said thanks for a fulfilling sleep. She stood up, refreshed by her rest, and walked towards the door.

The hallways looked especially creepy at night. Though they were abundantly lighted by the rows of hanging crystal chandeliers and small candle-shaped lamps fixed on the walls, they looked desolate and empty in their largeness. She shuddered as she walked through the one, which led to the main wing. Shadows cast on the white walls and the slight flickering of lights made them dance eerily as she walked by. The large windows now seemed a curse than a blessing for they gave off a luminescent light from the moon, creating large patches of light at each interval. They looked ethereal, like they were portals to another dimension. She quickened her stride, making sure never to face the large windows or the dark world outside. 

At last she reached the two spiral stairs. She climbed down, sliding her fingers over the smooth mahogany finish of the railings. She admired the craftsmanship in it, the high quality wood and varnish, which gave it a reddish color. The carvings down the side were simple enough, depicting a scene of spring, with tiny carved flowers and leaves floating through the vines and branches. Simple, with a touch of elegance, that's what her mother had said when she commissioned for these to be made. Indeed, that was what it was when it was finished. 

She stepped off the stairs and turned to her left. She entered the enormous main hall, and proceeded towards the dining area. She was hungry, and it seemed time for supper. She quickened her pace once more, avoiding the wide windows. 

She came into the large room, the family dining room, which she and her mother used when they weren't entertaining guests. She marveled at its size. It could have easily seated a party of fifty with room to spare for a few extras. She wondered why her mother even bothered to make another dining area for special occasions. This one would easily serve the purpose. She sighed. Everything was so big in her world. She felt somewhat lost in all of it, and very insignificant.

Tomoyo sat down at the nearest chair. The table had been set for two people and the other plate was laid across her. Quite suddenly, a woman came in and placed a silver tray before her, and then another, and another. Then the maid asked her if she wanted bread or rice, what beverage she preferred and if she would want some miso soup. She said yes to the soup, the warmth would feel good to her belly, and that bread was quite fine. She asked for some hot green tea, just to soothe the nerves, and as quickly as the maid came in, she was gone again. She was left in silence.

She stared idly at the paintings, which decorated the walls. The large one on the center caught her eye the most. She realized that while everything else here was changed every season, this one painting remained. It was very lovely, with smooth strokes and lively colors, but not too bright to shock the eyes. It was of a woman, with long wavy hair that flew with the wind. Beside her was another woman, just as beautiful as the first but in a stronger way, and she was holding on to her straw hat to keep it from being blown away. They were laughing as they walked side by side, hand in hand, showered but thousands of pink cherry blossoms. It was a very sweet picture and it reminded her of herself and Sakura when they would walk through the streets lined with cherry blossoms. 

"It's very nice, isn't it? Brings back a lot of good memories." 

She shook out of her thought. She looked to her side where a tall woman, with russet hair cut stylishly short, was standing. She nodded, and smiled and the woman walked across her to the other side of the table. She sat down where the other plate had been placed.

"You had me quite worried. The maid said you wouldn't wake up. You must've been very tired to have missed out on proper dinner time." The woman was looking at her, her chin resting on her long slender hands. She seemed very dignified, very much like a socialite, except for that little glow of mischief that twinkled in her eyes and that little grin on her well-painted lips.    

"I had a headache. I'm sorry. What time is it anyway, mother?" Tomoyo smiled her usual calm smile. It had become her trademark over the years and she quite liked it.

"It's half past ten, my dear," Sonomi said slyly. "If I were half as strict as any of my business partners, I'd fire you for being late." The grin became wider. Then she sighed and slumped back on her chair, stretching her arms behind her and yawning. "But then again, I can't fire my daughter, can I?" she winked and she seemed more of an older sister than a mother.

Tomoyo nodded. The maid came back. She placed a basket of toasted bread before the two and a small bowl of miso soup on Tomoyo's left. She placed a steaming cup of hot tea on the right. And without a word, she did the same for the older woman, placing a bowl on her left and a cup on her right. Then she quickly scurried off, like a well-trained maid ought to do, and left the two by themselves. 

Tomoyo looked at her soup. It seemed quite inviting. She drank once, and then smiled as the warm soup tickled her throat and her nerves. She set it down and looked up again at her mother. "I'm sorry", she said shyly. "I couldn't help myself. My stomach turned out to be more empty than I thought." She was blushing at her own rudeness. And then she was dumbstruck. Her mother was doing the same thing; only she didn't stop with one sip. She was gulping the entire thing down. After she finished, she smiled a contented smile and placed the bowl down. She looked at her daughter and laughed. 

"What did you say?" She was laughing and Tomoyo couldn't help but giggle as well. But she placed a folded hand on her lips, just out of polite habit, while her mother laughed out boldly. After all, she was the master of the house. She had every right to laugh when she wanted to, and there were no board of trustees and foreign ambassadors to be polite to, so it seemed perfectly fine. After a while, they finally stopped, and they proceeded to eat the little feast set out before them.  

"Will you be visiting Sakura tomorrow? How is she doing anyway? Last I heard, her injuries were fine but she was weak from exhaustion." Her mother's voice had a note of worry. Sakura was very dear to her, like her own child. After all, she was a niece and the best friend of her daughter, and she reminded her of her dead cousin whom she had loved so well. It pained her to not have been in the hospital when Sakura first woke up. "Would you tell her I'm sorry for not coming. It's just that everything is so busy at work and I have so many things to do." She looked down, defeated. There was sadness in her face.

"Don't worry about it, mama," Tomoyo said reassuringly. "I'm sure she understands. And besides, you've made up for it already. Thank you for paying for her medical bills. I'm sure it was a great help to Mr. Kinomoto. I hear his new job isn't much help."

Sonomi shook her head. "It was the least I could do for both Sakura and Nadeshiko." She sighed. "Is there anything new with her condition?" She looked hopefully at her daughter.

Tomoyo nodded, again the reassuring smile on her face. "Touya called yesterday. He said Sakura was pulling out of it. Her breathing's better and she can eat solid foods, and there's nearly no scar left on her body. What's left was quickly disappearing. He said she was getting stronger by the minute, no more fevers or anything of the like. The main problem now is her weight. She lost a lot of it during the fever and they're afraid it might weaken her. But other than that, he said she was recovering fine."

                "Thank the gods and deities! I thought she wasn't going to make it, the way you described her last. All those bruises and cuts, and broken bones. I should have known. She's a strong girl." Sonomi looked relieved. She began eating once more, cutting through her steak with a finesse of a well-bred lady. 

                "Would you like to come with me tomorrow? I'll visit her in the afternoon." 

                "I'm afraid I can't, dear. I've got a meeting that would probably last the whole day. Honestly, those sharks are really trying to get us! That's why I can't go. You know how messy everything gets when I'm not around. They'll buckle down and sell everything if I'm not there. I'm really sorry."

                 Tomoyo nodded. She continued to eat, tearing off a small piece of bread as she was taught. Proper etiquette, all little ladies must know this. "It's fine. I'm sure she'll understand. And there'll be other times. I'm sure you can visit her then."

                Sonomi nodded gratefully. "I'll do that."

                They both ate in silence.

                Tomoyo went to bed right after. Her mother came to tuck her in, combing her long locks, as was her custom every night, before drawing her blanket to her chin and kissing her goodnight. She smiled at this little ritual. Even though she was already fifteen, she still liked it. It was like being a child again, without any worries, when everything was fine. But she had to face reality. She was no longer a child and not everything was fine. In fact, everything was horrible. A friend had died, her best friend was in the hospital, and they haven't talked to each other in almost two years since Sakura left their school. And now, these attacks and images, she didn't know what to make of them. The only one she had confided these images to was Cerberus, but the little guardian could not make sense of it all. Indeed, things couldn't get any worse.

                She shook her head. She had learned from experience to expect the unexpected and therefore see the darker sides of something already too dark to begin with. She had held it back from Sakura all those times, and perhaps that was why everything was crumbling before her now. She tried to ignore what was all too obvious just for the sake of keeping her little world bright and hopeful. Despite the fatigue, she could not sleep.

                There was something wrong and she could feel it. The soft stirring of the wind outside just didn't seem right. And the moon glowed just a little bit eerier than it should. The shadows seemed longer and the sounds too faint. It was all the same but different. It was all too silent. She sat up. She stared around her room, searching for anything out of the ordinary to confirm her feelings but found none. She looked out but there was nothing to bee seen aside from the dark sky and well-trimmed gardens. Whatever it was, it evaded her well. She crinkled her nose as if in disgust and dug back under her sheets. It would have to wait until morning, she thought.  

*********

                She walked about the familiar street, glancing at the sceneries around her. She shifted under the weight of her bulging bag. She had thought that a few gifts and cakes would be in order for this visit. After all, they hadn't spoken to each other in nearly two years and she had wanted the reconciliation badly. She recalled Sakura's tired voice as she spoke her name in that little white room and she felt her spirits lighter. Their friendship was stronger than she had thought and she was glad that Sakura still thought of her as a friend. She herself never thought otherwise, though every now and then, doubt crept into her mind. But it was all over now. In a few minutes, she would be talking with Sakura once more, and they would say their apologies and everything would be fine. She shifted once more, this time lugging the bag behind her. Perhaps she had brought too much after all.

                She thanked the lady beside her once more. Of all the luck, the elevator simply decided to go out of order the very same day she was visiting. If it hadn't been for the nurse's help, she would have never gotten all her luggage up the seven floors. She sighed in relief as she paused in front of the room. The nurse assured her that Sakura was awake and ready to receive any visitors. She had decided not to tell Sakura she was coming since she wanted it to be a surprise. She smiled widely as she knocked and slowly opened the door.

                Sakura looked up from her book. Her eyes grew wide as she saw the dainty little girl slide into her room without so much as a creek. She was amazed. Tomoyo never seemed to lose her grace no matter what she did. She smiled warmly. She had missed her friend so much.

                "I'm glad you came." Sakura spoke from the bottom of her heart. Losing Tomoyo was like losing a part of herself and she had lost one too many already. 

                Tomoyo nodded. "I'm glad too. I've missed you so much. The whole school felt so lonely when you went and then…. you never called. I thought you would never forgive me and I became pigheaded! I should have apologized, then everything would be done!" She came towards Sakura's bed and placed her bag down.

                Sakura looked at the bag, then at Tomoyo's sad face. It all came back to her, the reason why she hadn't called her for those two long years. Of course, how could she forget? The way they fought and shouted at one another, it was the first time that it had ever happened between them and both of them thought it had been the end of their friendship. But here she was now and there was no enmity between them, only a sense of lost time and opportunities and a nostalgic feeling she had felt since that day she ran out on her friend. She smiled wistfully and a single tear fell to her open book. She quickly caught herself and closed the book. 

                "I hope I didn't come at a bad time." Tomoyo's quick wit always had a way of making lengthy conversations from awkward moments. "What were you reading? I haven't seen you hold that thick a book…ever. It must be really good then, right?"

                Sakura shook her head but she felt the same lightheartedness she used to feel whenever she was with Tomoyo. Of course, Tomoyo would notice such a thing. After all, they had been together for more than half of their lives. She knew how much Sakura hated reading or what her favorite food was, even in what mood she was in. Come to think of it, Tomoyo seemed to know her better than she knew herself. She certainly knew about _him_ before she herself had ever gotten a clue. 

                "Not really, just something to pass the time. I've changed a bit now, since we last saw each other." Deep sorrow glimmered in her eyes as she cast them down. A wistful smile played on her lips. "I'm not the happy little girl who you used to know, Tomoyo. I've lost that part of me who you used to cherish as a friend."

                "What are you trying to imply? That everything we've been through in past makes no difference to you now at all? You can't say such a thing. No matter how much any of us has changed, we are still and will always be the best of friends! Isn't that what you promised me?"

                "I'm sorry Tomoyo. It's just that…I don't know what to say. I'm afraid that I might let you down, that I might hurt you again the way I did that last time."

                Tomoyo's dark eyes began to water. She slowly stepped closer to her friend and then hesitantly, she took her friend's hands in hers. "It doesn't matter anymore. I'm not afraid and you shouldn't be either. Things like that happen no matter how tight the bond. What we have to do now is to believe in our friendship and face all the challenges that lie before us. Isn't that what true friendship is about?"

                Sakura felt a smile tug at her lips as she nodded. More tears sprung from her eyes as she lunged towards her friend's surprised yet open arms. "I'm so sorry!" she said in between sobs as Tomoyo slowly stroked her hair and cooed at her ear. "I'm so sorry for doubting you! I'm so sorry for every hurtful thing I've ever said. I've missed you so much! You don't know just how lonely I felt, without having anyone by my side, not you, not him, not any of our friends. I felt so scared!" 

                Tomoyo nodded, stroking Sakura's hair in a comforting manner. She felt relieved to hear her friend's words. She smiled to herself. She held Sakura by her shoulders and pushed her away gently so that they could see eye to eye. Again, the encouraging smile was on her face. "So, what has the Card Mistress been up to these last few years? Do tell me something's on the stir. All your new costumes have been piled up in my closet and I'm dying to take more videos!"

                Sakura giggled as she wiped away her tears. It was refreshing to see Tomoyo's genuine optimistic attitude. "Nothing much, I'm afraid. This Card Mistress had just sorely lost to a bunch of rich-ass, and absolutely powerless brats, and got her own ass kicked into this hospital room. To tell you the truth, I haven't released the wand or any of the cards for nearly three years," her eyes were downcast and her voice fell to a whisper, "since he went away. I guess I just didn't have the heart." 

                Tomoyo's dark eyes glimmered in reflection of her friend's sadness. She understood her perfectly. "I know how you feel. It's like you've lost the only reason to touch anything that's magical. Like you've lost that part of you that ties you to your powers. I feel that way sometimes, only in my own terms."

                Sakura nodded at her friend's words. "How do you feel that way? I didn't think you'd have any…."

                Tomoyo laughed. "Oh, no, not in the way you're thinking. I don't have any magic at all. But when you left, I've lost that part of me that loved to hold the video camera." Tomoyo sighed as her eyes became dreamy. She held her cheeks with both hands and her face blushed a bright red. "Oh, I felt so empty without my tapes of Sakura! It's like, I've lost all meaning in my life!"

                Sakura smiled in disbelief. "Don't you think you're a little too obsessed with your tapes?"

                "Of course not! My dear Sakura is worth video taping every minute and hour of the day. Why, when you left, there was nothing worth taping anymore. Do you know how many possible cute moments I've missed in those two long years? So much! It was agony! Sheer agony I tell you!"

                Sakura laughed and her laughter came purely and freely from the bottom of her soul. It was only now that she truly realized how much she had missed her best friend.

                "But I'm making up for all those wasted times right now! I'm not missing a single moment more!" Tomoyo quickly produced a video camera from her bag and expertly focused it on her friend's beautifully surprised face. Sakura nearly fell off the bed in amazement at how her friend made a camera materialize in her hands but she quickly caught herself. She wondered if Tomoyo's camera was magically linked to her hands just as the key was to hers. 

                "You look so cute when you're confused. You just have a way of looking so innocent even when you're brain does not comprehend anything at the moment. It's so hard to find that in people. Most often, they just look plain stupid!", Tomoyo purred.

                "Hey!" Sakura pouted and placed a hurt look on her face. "Are you hinting at something? It sounds more like a criticism than a complement!"

                Tomoyo gasped as though in surprise while keeping the focus on Sakura. "My! You know I never have anything bad to say about you! All I'm saying is that you make bewilderment and pure ignorance blissfully enjoyable to look at. Now that's a talent!"    

                Sakura stuck out her tongue and laughed once more. This time Tomoyo joined in though she made sure that the camera recorded every moment of her friend's happiness.  "Tomoyo, will you stop that," Sakura half-pleaded in between laughs. "It's embarrassing!"

                Tomoyo shook her head. "I vowed to immortalize your face in as much digital time as possible and I plan to do it! Like I said before, I wont miss a moment more!"

                Sakura smiled gratefully. She knew it was her friend's way of telling her that she would never leave her again and that they would always be friends no matter what. Sakura whole-heartedly appreciated that. 

                A knock on the door.

                The two girls stopped. Sakura wiped away some of the tears of laughter that had formed beneath her crystal green eyes. "Come in. the door's open."

                A young woman slowly stepped inside. She had short dark hair and a pair of amber eyes. Tomoyo recognized her to be the nurse that had helped her just a while back. She had a serene smile on her face.

                "I'm glad you two seem to be enjoying yourselves." She walked towards the two then turned to the dark-haired beauty beside the bed. "Thank you. She seems all the better already because of you. You're exactly what the doctor ordered."

                Tomoyo blushed. Something about the woman's gaze touched her deeply and reminded her of her own mother. She nodded in response then quickly remembered her manners. She gracefully bowed to the woman. "My name is Tomoyo Daidouji. It is my pleasure to meet you. I greatly appreciated your assistance a while ago and would like to thank you."

                The nurse smiled in return and bowed as well. "I'm Nami, Nami Nakamura. And it's no big deal. I'm glad to have helped a friend of Sakura's in any way."

                "And now that everybody's acquainted, let's get out of here!" Sakura brightly said. "It's too stuffy to have a picnic in here and the weather seems to be cool enough! Let's not waste these last few days of spring!" She made an indicating look towards Tomoyo's bag and then at Tomoyo herself and grinned. Tomoyo grinned as well. Her friend wasn't as oblivious to everything as she thought.   

                Nami nodded and left the room. A while later, she came back, pushing along a wheelchair obviously for Sakura's use. She helped the young girl up from her bed and unto the chair while Tomoyo stood aside so as not to get in the way. She focused her camera on Sakura's face as she balanced her bag on her left shoulder.


	5. Start

*Thanks a bunch for the reviews. They really mean a lot to me. I'll try harder to measure up to your expectations. I hope you'll like this chapter. DAYBREAK Chapter IV Start 

****

****

**T**he cherry blossoms had begun to fall and the pink carpet of petals overshadowed the lush green grass of the hospital's park. There were other people on the park, perhaps taking advantage of the last days of spring just as they were. The trio stopped by a large cherry tree and Tomoyo gratefully dropped the burden on her shoulders to the ground. She placed her camera on the side as well as she began to lift things off her bag. One by one, small packages appeared, wrapped in colorful papers and ribbons. Next came a huge lunchbox with four layers, which was quickly followed by what looked like a whole box of cake by Sakura's favorite shop, Le Soufflé. Tomoyo groped the deep hole of her bag until her arm could hardly be seen. She frowned in annoyance and then quickly regained her smile as she pulled out a huge blue blanket. Finally, she placed a fairly large canteen on her side and sat down, obviously pleased with herself.

                Sakura had to smile. She had to admit that Tomoyo was always prepared. From the corner of her eye, she saw that Nami was both impressed and amused. Sakura looked at her friend once more but was shocked to see the camera directly in front of her. Sakura shouted in surprise. She backed up and lost her balance, causing the chair to tip over. She lost her grip on the handle and she rolled over, hitting the back of her chair in the process. Luckily, the soft grass cushioned her fall and stopped her momentum even before she could roll over again. Her two friends sighed in thanks that they had chosen a flat area. They ran towards her, stifling a laugh.

                Sakura lay on her back, staring upwards. Her emerald eyes gleamed with excitement and a rush of adrenaline that she had almost forgotten. She was thrilled and exhilarated just as she had felt when she was still the Card Mistress. She knew she wanted it, the thrill and the danger, no matter how much she said she wanted to be normal. She was part of magic and magic was part of her and that was what was normal for her. She followed the petals as they slowly drifted through the air with her gaze. She began to laugh at the irony of it all.

                "Are you alright? I'm really sorry. I didn't think you'd be that surprised." Tomoyo said as she knelt down beside her friend.

                "It's ok Tomoyo. Everything's in place." Sakura said, lifting herself to face her friend.

                "Are you sure?" Tomoyo placed a hand on Sakura's forehead as if to check her temperature. "You might have banged your head somewhere along the fall."

                Sakura shook her head. "Well, actually I did but it doesn't really matter." She flashed her friend a smile. "I've had worse done to me than this and I've survived. Don't think much of it."

                Tomoyo nodded and then quickly brought out her camera in front of her. "But to tell you the truth, I got some really good footage there!" A mischievous smile played down her lips as she giggled. "You were so cute, shouting and rolling along like you did. And I think I saw a speck of red underwear somewhere. Someone's been very naughty lately!"

                Sakura gasped as her face blushed bright red. She tried to stammer out a defense but could find none that would change her friend's mind. Instead she pouted and placed a false wounded expression on her face. She began to speak in a sort of baby tone, which Tomoyo found absolutely adorable. "You're so mean, Tomoyo! And to think I thought of you as a friend. I feel so betrayed!"

                "Of course I'm your friend. Rest assured that this tape would not be seen by anyone else unless they pay me a handsome fee."

                    Sakura was flabbergasted. Tomoyo began to laugh. "You didn't really think I'd do that to you, did you? Oh, Sakura! You're as gullible as ever! Have some faith! And besides, if I ever do that, it's gonna be really expensive so no one else can afford it."

                Sakura smiled unsurely. 

                "So where did you get that naughty little thing?" Tomoyo asked.

                Sakura blushed even brighter. She tried to avoid the conversation by looking away but Tomoyo easily followed her with her camera. Sakura secretly wished she would drop dead so that she wouldn't have to answer. 

                "I gave it to her as a gift. I thought it would look absolutely perfect on her, don't you think?"

                The two girls looked up and saw that Nami had finally caught up with them, pushing the chair in front of her. Tomoyo's azure eyes grew wide and so did her smile. Sakura groaned in embarrassment.

                "I agree. But isn't it a little too daring for her? I mean, she's only fifteen and she does have a reputation for being naïve, innocent and child-like. I've always thought she would start with the cooler tones first, like dark blue or purple and work her way up." Tomoyo said excitedly.

                Sakura nearly fell. "Child-like? Naïve? Is that what everybody thinks of me?"

                Nami nodded in comprehension. "But I think it's the perfect color to shatter those perceptions of her. Red is the color of passion, love and womanhood. And it's perfect for her white skin!"

                "Yes. That's true too. But how in the world did you ever manage to get her to wear that?"

                "Oh, I threatened her a bit."

                "Really?"

                "Why yes. I'm very good at blackmailing, threatening and convincing."

                "Stop it! It's embarrassing!" Sakura whined but the two paid no heed.

                "Then, do you think you could get her to wear a matching bra?"

                "Why not? But she doesn't have big ones yet. She'd have to wait until they grow."   

                Tomoyo nodded. "And what do you think about black. I'd say they're a little more sensuous and mature."

                "Hmm..I can arrange for that."

                "No way I'm wearing black underwear!" Sakura shouted. Crowds looked at her curiously and she felt herself melting at their stares. She slowly backed up, defeated, to her little corner and placed her hands over her head as though it would help make her invisible. She could still feel stares on her. The redness spread to the back of her neck and arms. 

The two merely giggled and continued their conversation. 

"Which do you think is better though, lacy or plain?" Tomoyo inquired in a serious tone. 

Nami scratched her chin in thought.  "I don't think she's ready for the lacy ones yet. It took me so long to make her wear the red one. It might take longer to make her wear black. I say we take it a step at a time."

"You're right."

"Oh, I'm glad I met you, Tomoyo. We actually agree on so many things."

"Absolutely! After all, anyone who thinks Sakura is cute is ok by me."

"I agree. Although I do think she'd look even cuter if she learned how to dress more daringly."

"I know. I've been trying to tell her that but she doesn't listen. Oh, and I would love to see her in a two piece suit, like the black one JLO wore in her video."

"I saw that one! That really stringy revealing one? It would look perfect on her!"

"Do you think we could get her to wear it though?"

"It's possible, with a lot of 'convincing'."

"Tomoyo clapped her hands giddily. "I can't wait!"

"Me too!"

Sakura dropped her head in exasperation. "I'm dead," she grumbled. She was fuming at how the two were talking about her as though she wasn't there. 

The two girls laughed once more, oblivious to the curious and unbelieving stares of the passersby. Sakura felt her face and neck burn but the two didn't seem to mind. They were stuck in their own demented world where she was the subject of a total make over. She groaned even louder as she buried her face under her folded arms. The picnic remained untouched and forgotten. 

A strange feeling tugged at her senses. It was faint but familiar. There was something stirring in the air. Sakura quickly looked up, her green eyes scrutinizing her surroundings. Something's wrong, she could feel it. It was a feeling she had known for so long and had almost forgotten. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the source of the sensation itself but found none. She quickly opened them and shakily stood up. Both Tomoyo and Nami noticed the change in her actions and scrambled to help. Sakura turned her attention towards the sky where she had felt the stronger change. It was darker than it had been just a few minutes ago. Heavy thick clouds had appeared overhead, a sign of impending rain. A gush of cold wind lashed at their faces and left chills down their spine. 

"This isn't right!" Nami hollered above the howling wind yet her voice was barely audible to the two beside her. She brought the two close to her, enclosing them in a tight embrace. All around, she could see people rushing towards the hospital for cover. She decided it was the best move for them as well. "We have to get back. Looks like there's a really strong storm coming. But I don't understand. We're months from the cold season!"

Tomoyo tucked her camera inside her light sweater, which was no match for the wintry chill of the air. She shuddered and moved closed to her friend. "Sakura! What's wrong? Do you sense something?"

Sakura looked at her in panic, her jade green eyes swimming in both fear and anticipation. She winced. Her hair had lashed at her eye, carried by the unforgiving wind. "It's coming Tomoyo, something's coming. I can feel it. It's cold and dark."

Nami looked down at the conversing teens. "What are you talking about?" She looked desperately around. They were the only ones left out in the open park. The grounds had been deserted. She did not wait for an answer. Bringing them closer to the wheelchair, she quickly lifted the recovering girl and placed her on it. "Tomoyo! Stay close! We have to get to cover!"

Tomoyo nodded, worry indented in her amethyst eyes. "Sakura feels something. Could it be a Clow Card? But the whole set is under Sakura's power now!" she thought to herself. She turned to look at her friend with a questioning gaze and found that Sakura's held the same question. _What could it be?_

Nami began to push and Tomoyo carefully stepped in pace so that she was directly beside the nurse. She looked up, almost afraid of what she would see. The sky had grown even darker than before and the black clouds seemed to press on them from above, as though they were too heavy to keep afloat. She saw sparks of light cover the sky as the roaring sound of thunder assaulted their ears. They cringed in surprise. Nami squared her shoulders and pushed on even harder, determined to bring the two teens with her to safety but the strong wind deterred her best efforts. Her legs were beginning to numb as she plowed her way through the soft ground. Heavy rain began to pelt down on the three. 

Tomoyo surveyed her surroundings in alarm. The wind howled even harder as its power grew stronger. Her eyes widened as she saw the smaller trees bend to were the wind blew them, their roots yielding one by one. She could feel her own footing slowly loosen. A realization struck. If they didn't hurry, they would be carried away! She squinted. The rain fell down hard and heavy on their backs and heads. It was painful, as though bombarded by a thousand pebbles and the heavy mist began to surround their lone bodies. They could hardly see anything, much less where they were going. She reached for Sakura's hand instinctively and felt that it was shaking. 

Tomoyo's eyes grew wide. "Oh no! I forgot!"

Both Nami and Sakura looked at her in panic. "Forgot what?"

Tomoyo's brows furrowed into a frown as she contemplated on whether to tell the two. She looked at Sakura pleadingly, her eyes hoping that her friend would understand. She looked down then at her friend. Sakura stared, struggling to understand. Tomoyo made a small box with her hands and then held it in one as though she were carrying something. Nami looked at the two in a mixture of agitation and impatience. Sakura's emerald eyes widened and then quickly turned small in a disappointed frown. "We can't do anything about your bag, Tomoyo! We have to get out of here! I can feel it coming closer. It's looking for us!" 

Nami sighed in relief. "I thought it was something important! Forget it. The storm's here. We need to get back to the hospital!"

Tomoyo looked down, frustrated. She looked up at her friend for help but found none. She shook her head. "I have to find it! You don't understand! There's something in there that you can't lose!"

Sakura twisted on the chair to look directly at her. Tomoyo could sense that she was now in utter terror. "What is it? What's in there?"

Tomoyo looked up at Nami and then at her friend. Sakura's delicate features had contorted into a fearful frown. She had understood. If it was something her friend couldn't say in front of Nami then it could only mean one thing.. 

"I-I have to get something Nami." Sakura's voice was filled with worry. "Please bring Tomoyo back with you. "

Nami looked at her in both awe and surprise. A roar of thunder brought her back to her senses. She tightened her grip on the handles of the chair. "Are you crazy? You're going to get yourself killed! I don't care whatever it is she forgot. Your lives are far more important."

Sakura bit her lip. "That's just it! It's my life! It's a part of me I have to protect!"

The woman looked at her dumbfounded. She saw the sincerity in the girl's eyes as well as the determination. She shook her head. "You can't! You can hardly walk! How are you supposed to stand alone in this storm?"

"I don't know! I just have to!" Sakura struggled to her feet.

"I'll go!" Without another word Tomoyo sprinted through the mist, her form quickly dissolving from view. The two were stupefied, remaining in silence for a few seconds.

"Tomoyo! No! Come back!" Sakura shouted. "You can't go alone! It's coming Tomoyo! Come back!" She jumped to her feet, her eyes stinging with tears for her friend. "Come back!"

Nami held her back and pressed her to herself. Sakura struggled to get free but the woman would not let her go. She gently caressed Sakura's hair, calming down the girl's sobs. 

"She has to come back. It's coming. She'll be killed!"

"Shh! It's ok. I'm sure the gods will protect her. You have to believe in her."

"But you don't understand! It'll kill her! She's in danger! Let me go!" Sakura summoned all her strength and pushed herself away from Nami. She nimbly stepped under the nurse's arms when she tried to grab for her and then scrambled after her friend. 

"Sakura no! Come back! Come back you stupid girl!" Nami shouted, her amber eyes filling with tears, her voice beginning to croak. "Come back!" She fell to her knees sobbing. It was happening all over again! She was loosing a child once more, no two, and she could do nothing to save them. "Shinta! Dear gods, help them! Please keep them safe! Don't take them away!"

*********

                "Tomoyo! Tomoyo! Where are you? Tomoyo! Answer me!" Sakura fought the urge to just drop to her knees and cry. She could hardly see what was in front of her. The heavy mist had rendered everything invisible and the pounding rain made it only worse. Her tears clouded her emerald eyes and she wiped at them furiously. She fell. She was now knee-deep in the muddy ground. She labored to stand and keep her balance, using her hands to push off from the ground and keep her stance. Once she felt secure with her footing, she continued on, ignoring the growing fatigue in her legs and arms. She shouted once more, making it even harder for her to breathe. "Tomoyo!" She quickly looked behind her. She had felt something near. Or was it in front? Around her? She couldn't figure it out. It was as though she was being blasted by an unknown aura with no specific origin. She staggered but quickly regained her balance and momentum. She trudged on, heaving. "Tomoyo!"

                She felt something solid brush her hand. She groped through the mist and rain until she found it once more. The wind howled fiercely, threatening to lift her off her feet. She heard a distant rumble of thunder, which sent goose bumps crawling through her skin. She shivered in her thin hospital gown, soaked and clinging to her skin. She felt hot and cold all at the same time and she thought she would lose consciousness at any moment. She leaned her head on a sturdy tree, though it was leafless and obviously battered by the unforgiving storm, it was the only one left standing for as far as she could see or feel. She stood still to catch her breath, seeking help from the tree's life aura. 

                A scream.

                Sakura alertly opened her eyes. "Tomoyo!" She pushed herself from the tree to stand, thanking it for what little strength and protection it had offered her. She ran as fast as her weary legs and the soft ground would allow her. She felt the fear from her friend rise up through the mist as if a beacon in the dark. Sakura trudged towards it. She followed the chilling scream and the rising fear. Tomoyo had been hurt. She could feel it. Sakura's eyes watered once more as she toiled through the knee-deep mud and slippery ground, through the blinding mist, painful rain and relentless wind to find her friend. "Tomoyo!"

*********

                Tomoyo blinked. She was sprawled along the base of the large cherry tree where they had thought to have their picnic just a while back. She was dazed from the impact and she could feel that something had been dislocated. Slowly, her vision cleared up, focusing on the yellow bulk just a hand length away from her. She cringed. She struggled to lift herself off the ground but soon realized that her right arm would not be cooperating. She stifled a cry as she reached out with her other arm. She could almost reach it!

                She heard a menacing cry behind her and before she knew it, she had been lifted off the ground. She couldn't breathe, couldn't scream, her broken arm fell dangling to her side. She clutched the invisible hand at her throat in fear. It tightened its grip, slowly pushing the life from her lungs. Tomoyo gasped for breath. Everything was growing dark once more. "Sakura."

                Her chest tightened. It was happening once more. She felt her heart quicken its pace as though she had run in a marathon. _I'm going to die?_ Unbearable pain shot through her head. It felt as though someone were hammering her head from the inside, like something wanted to burst out. She screamed.

                She was sprawled once more on the ground. The thing had thrown her. But she couldn't move. Tomoyo's eyes slowly opened. She saw the bag. It was just in front of her. If only she could reach it. If only she could move her hand. 

                "Tomoyo!"

                "Sakura?" she whispered.

                Sakura was standing in front of her, defending her from whatever it was that had attacked her. But she wasn't well. Tomoyo could see this. She was heaving in breaths and her knees were buckling beneath her. Tomoyo felt tears spring from her mauve eyes. Her friend was in even more danger than she was. She had not yet recovered and had absolutely nothing to defend herself with. She was going to die. She would definitely lose her best friend now unless some miracle happened. She had to do something! 

                Tomoyo stretched her arm. She had to reach the bag! She felt pain all over her body as she tried to move. It was as though a thousand needles had stuck themselves all over her body. She was slowly sinking into the soft ground. She raised her head, determination blazing in her eyes. She moved herself forward, pushing with her other hand as well as her feet. She reached out, the tips of her fingers finally touching the soaked cloth. She smiled. She pulled it towards herself.

                Sakura looked around furiously, her wet hair slapping on her face. She didn't care. She could feel a strong power emanating around her, an aura calling to her own. She could sense it but could not see it. Her heart pounded in her chest. She feared to look behind her, afraid that she had been too late to save her friend. But it wouldn't matter anyway. She felt helplessness weigh upon her, as heavy and painful as the rain that pelted down her back and face. She shivered in the cold. She could almost see the frosty air escape her lips. Even if she did survive whatever was coming for her she would definitely die of hypothermia. Either way, there was no turning back. She knew she didn't have the strength to carry her friend through the mud and she would rather die than abandon Tomoyo. She had to face this once and for all for the sake of her friend. She closed her eyes, calming her aura as she reached out to the unknown force. She had to coax it to come out. It would be easier to run from something visible. 

                She scanned the surrounding perimeter with her aura, her senses awake and in full alert. It was tugging at the back of her mind. It was teasing her. This was nothing like the Clow Cards she had once captured. It was stronger, smarter, and had a mind of its own. It knew how to play before the kill. It was like a beast, crafty and menacing. Her heart began to pound. She had found it!

                She opened her eyes. It was coming towards her, something blurry. It was too fast. She found herself rooted on the ground. She couldn't move.

                "Sakura!"

Sakura jerked around and by instinct, caught something in her hands. She opened her shivering fingers. Her eyes grew wide with a newfound hope. She called out words that came through as second nature. She had said it so many times that it had been ingrained in her heart and mind. "Key of the Star, with powers burning bright, reveal the staff, and shine your light. Release! "

                She opened her eyes, emerald orbs clouded by fear and horror. 

                Nothing had happened.

                Tomoyo looked up at her friend. "Sakura!"

                Sakura looked up, muted in her terror. She stood still, staring up at her attacker. She could feel the wind rushing down at her, enveloping her in icy coldness. She felt calm all of a sudden. Her eyes shone bright as she smiled vacantly at her opponent. She held the key close to her heart, waiting for the inevitable blow.

                Tomoyo screamed. "Sakura!"

                "I-I'll be with you soon Syaoran. Wait for me."


	6. Help Me

DAYBREAK

Chapter IV

Help Me 

****

****

          "Sakura!"

                She woke up with a start. A pair of glistening amethyst eyes greeted her. "W-what happened?" She blinked as she felt the stinging slap on her cheek. She froze, clutching at her reddened face. 

Tomoyo was crying, her hand shaking into a fist. She stared at her friend in anger and confusion as she struggled to control her sobs. "Why didn't you run? Goddamn it! You didn't even try to avoid it! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" She bit her lip and calmed herself, allowing her hand to fall limply to her side. 

Sakura gazed at her friend, speechless, her own emerald eyes threatening to give way to tears. "I-I don't know", she whispered.

Tomoyo brought out her serene smile though her navy eyes blurred with tears. She lunged at her friend, encasing her in a tight one-armed grip, squeezing her just to be sure that she was alive. She sighed in relief. "Thank the gods! I-I thought you were going to leave me! I was so scared!"

                Sakura winced. She looked at her arm and saw that it was bleeding. Tomoyo looked at her apologetically and slowly retreated back to her kneeling position. Sakura held her arm. 

                Tomoyo nodded happily. 

                Something soft brushed her cheek. Sakura looked to her side, her eyes wide in surprise. "Kero?"

                A large winged lion stood proudly beside her, grinning softly. He folded his wings behind him and sat beside his mistress. He snuggled close to her, feeling her obvious fatigue and insistent shivering. He furrowed his brows in a frown, making him look regal and almost father-like. "Why didn't it change?"

                Sakura looked down and opened her palm. "I-I don't know." Her vision became blurry as hot tears formed beneath her evergreen eyes. She felt remorse as she choked up her sobs. "I-I don't know."

                Tomoyo bit her lip. She hated seeing her friend cry. She looked towards the winged beast for some support, anything that could make her friend feel better but found only sorrow in his golden eyes. He sadly shook his head. 

                Cerberus nuzzled his mistress' neck and purred ever so slightly. It was the best he could do to console her and he had missed her touch so much. He had missed her warmth, her smile, her aura and most especially her spirit. Large feathered wings stretched out behind him, enveloping the shivering girl in their magical warmth. 

                Sakura smiled appreciatively. "Thank you." She placed a bony hand on his neck and began to scratch at his fur. She could feel the warmth of his thick golden hairs, almost as though they were aflame, bright and alive as their color suggests. "What happened? Where did you come from, Kero?"

                The lion lifted its head from his mistress' neck and looked at the soaked cloth before him. He looked at Tomoyo for permission and she nodded. He opened his mouth and Sakura felt soft warmth radiate from him. Warm fire blazed through his mouth and unto the cloth. It crackled and hissed, the flame dancing in its place besides the pouring rain. The fire grew stronger; brighter, as though oblivious to the horrid weather that had been plaguing the beings huddled next to it. It sang its own tune, a far cry from the icy symphony the wind played. It sparkled in life, and it filled the three with a momentary peace and hope, fleeting yet precious. It was warm and inviting; it was alive. He closed his mouth, happy with his handy work. "It won't last long but it'll keep you warm until help arrives."

                Sakura smiled at the gesture. "Thank you…for saving me." 

                Her guardian merely nodded in response. It was slowly coming back to her. 

                "But how did you get here so fast?" 

                "Tomoyo passed by your house before coming here. She told your brother that you would feel better if she brought you some of your 'toys' so he happily agreed. Tomoyo took the Book, the Key and me in her bag. I was hoping to pop up sooner but that nurse arrived."

                "I'm sorry if I took your things without your permission. I just wanted it to be a surprise and Kero missed you so much."

                Sakura smiled. "It doesn't matter. You've just saved my life."

                Kero continued and the two girls looked at him attentively. "I sensed an aura so I decided to scout the area when the three of you left. I was going to return when the storm hit. I had to wait until the place was deserted before I could change my form. After that, I sensed that you were in danger so I followed your aura. I saw you call for the staff…" He paused. He looked down, downtrodden. 

                Sakura smiled encouragingly. She continued for him. "It didn't work, Kero. I couldn't call forth the staff."

                "And when I saw this, that you were defenseless, I attacked. I blasted the entity with all the flames that I could produce. I must've weakened it because it retreated quickly enough but not before trying to slash at your neck. It missed when I hit it but your arm wasn't so lucky." He bowed his large head. "You lost consciousness after that. I'm sorry."

                Sakura ran her hand through his soft golden fur. "For what? If it weren't for you, I'd be dead and gone." Her eyes glimmered slightly as she gazed at the burning cloth in front of her. The light reflected upon her emerald eyes, giving them life when in fact she could hardly keep conscious. She sighed softly, almost to herself yet both her companions felt the fatigue and helplessness within it. She smiled wistfully and her voice softened to a whisper. "Maybe I'd be with him."

                "But I failed to protect you from harm and it almost cost you your life. I'm not very good as a guardian."

                She looked up at her steadfast guardian with a mustered gaiety. She took his large neck into her arm and hugged him and he in turn placed a comforting paw on her back. "You've been the best. It's me who's to be blamed. I've neglected you and the cards. Maybe this is why the key isn't responding to me."

                Kero shook his mighty head, his face twisted in an expression of doubt bewilderment. There was a tone of irritation within his voice as though he were trying to dismiss an unthinkable thought. "That's not it!" he growled. The key must respond to you as its master, that is the way Clow had made it. It is a part of you. Something must be interfering with your magic. Not using the cards must have made it easier to get to your power and disturb it. And once it thought you were weakened, it tried to destroy you."

                Tomoyo gasped. "Then Sakura's in more danger than we thought. If she can't use the key or the cards then how will she defend herself? And I don't think whatever that thing was, is going to give up that easily. We have to do something!"

                Kero nodded. "Yue might know something about this. Master Clow shared most of his secrets with him."

                "But what if he doesn't know?" Sakura had let go and was now leaning on her guardian. Her breathing came as shallow pants and Cerberus could feel the fever rising up. Yet she kept a smile on her face as she stared lifelessly at the flickering flames. It would soon die out.

                "Then we'll ask the man himself!" Tomoyo quickly answered.

                The mighty beast looked at her dumbfounded, not understanding the meaning of her statement. Then his lips drew into a soft grin as its sentiments dawned upon him. 

                She smiled knowingly. "We'll ask Eriol. He should know what he's past self had been up to. After all, he did make the key in some way and he might know how to fix it. Or he might at least have some idea of what we're up against."

 "Tomoyo, quick-witted as always," Sakura murmured as her eyes slowly closed on their own accord. The flames had died down, taking with it the warmth that had supported her. 

                "Of course." Tomoyo smiled lovingly at her friend. 

                Cerberus sighed as he looked down on his mistress. Her auburn hair was tousled and it clung to her wet pale cheeks. She was shivering in her thin hospital gown and her lips seemed to take on a tint of blue. He breathed down on her, hoping to give her some warmth from his magic. He brought his white wings closer and shifted so that she was nearer to his thick fur. A soft sigh of thanks escaped her lips and he smiled proudly at her in return. 

                Once he was satisfied with his mistress comfort, he turned a worried gaze to the drenched dark-haired teen sitting silently before him. She was watching her friend with the utmost care, ignoring her own shivering body and oddly situated arm. She held the Sakura book, as she so endearingly calls it, in the other. He broke the silence with his booming voice, softened a bit so as not to disturb the slumbering child by his side. "It happened again, didn't it?"

                Tomoyo looked up at him, dazed, and then realization gleamed in her dark eyes. She nodded meekly though her face showed no sign of worry or fear. She kept a peaceful smile on her lips. "Yes, when the thing started to choke me. It felt as though something inside me wanted to get out. It was painful, like a heart attack, only worse. I can't explain. I've told you this before."

                Kero nodded in understanding. His golden eyes suddenly became serious. "I felt something different a while back, when you felt the attack. Your aura changed, as though you were a different entity all together. I don't like it. Even that thing didn't like it. It was probably the only reason why you've survived."

                Tomoyo looked at him without a single reaction of worry written on her face. She remained smiling. "It doesn't matter for now. It comes and goes. What matters is that we get Sakura back to the hospital as soon as possible. She won't make it through the night if we stay in this storm.

                Cerberus bent his great head as he gazed down lovingly at his charge. He nodded slightly in agreement. 

                The wind grew stronger once more, regaining its earlier strength. Nothing could be seen overhead but the dark starless sky. Tomoyo scanned the area with her eyes. It felt desolate and dead. The mist was still thick around them, hiding them from their only possible hope for help, and it gave no sign of dissipating soon enough. She shifted uncomfortably in her place, careful not the move her broken arm. She could hear the chattering of her own teeth as she struggled to keep warm in her thin sweater. It seemed a futile effort but she had to give it a shot. It was all she could do to keep her mind from the blistering pain in her arm and the horrid feeling tugging at the back of her mind. 

                Tomoyo bit her lip, giving it some feeling. She longed to be back in her own home with her thick blankets and soft mattresses. She closed her eyes, feeling the silk between her fingers, soft and smooth. She could almost smell the warm aroma from the hot chocolate Tai makes. She felt dry and comfortable in her own clothes, filled with the sweet perfume of lemon scented detergent, and safe in her mother's embrace. She opened her eyes. Heavy drops of rain fell from the yielding sky, blinding her sight for a moment. She could have sworn those sensations were real but then, so was this unfortunate situation. She saw Sakura's frail body, shivering in her guardian's careful embrace. She could feel the muddy ground beneath her, slowly swallowing her own thin frame. She felt the excruciating pain and unsettling numbness fighting for dominance in her battered arm. The cherry tree seemed dead to the touch, leafless, bare, and filled with scratches and cuts from the previous attack. Nothing seemed to be alive. Tomoyo gripped the book even harder, hoping it would give her strength to survive, hoping it would give them all the strength to survive until the storm passes and help arrives. She fought back the urge to close her eyes. She had to remain conscious in any case.

                "You might find that my fur is more of a comfort to you than that book." 

                Tomoyo looked at the majestic beast in front of her. He seemed to be smiling a lopsided grin, though she could hardly discern from the hazy mist that obscured her vision. She felt her lips twitch to a smile. It seemed hard to believe that this very creature was the small toy-like lion she had hidden in her bag just a while back. 

                "I think you might be right," she said as she wrapped the soaked sweater around her. She felt her hair stand on ends as the wind blew persistently on her back. She couldn't hold back a sneeze. "But I wouldn't want to impose. Sakura needs you more than I do. I'll be fine, don't worry."

                This time, his grin was wider and definitely apparent. He stifled a sneeze as he shook his head to dry off his matted mane. "Sakura would be mad if I didn't take care of you as well. And believe me, she's not a good person to be with when she's mad." He choked himself jokingly and Tomoyo couldn't help but laugh. "Besides, you're also an important friend to me. And I owe you big time for taking care of her. Believe me, you wouldn't be imposing."

                Tomoyo smiled appreciatively. "Thank you." She scrambled slowly to her knees, never letting go of the book all the while. She crawled cautiously towards the lion's open wing, making sure she wouldn't slip on the unstable ground. She snuggled close to him as he enveloped her with his wing. He felt warm and soft, though he too was wet from the rain. His pelt was damp and it stuck close to his skin yet his body itself radiated with the warmth of a blazing fire. He was truly the guardian of the sun. His very breath melted the icy chill in her body and subdued the aching pain in her arm. She pressed her face below his chin and she felt his feathery wing come down upon her, protecting her from the unforgiving wind and rain. 

                "We'll leave soon," he whispered softly as he felt the young girl drift into sleep. "I'll wake you up as soon as the mist clears up. We'll fly away from here. We'll go home."

*********

                The young woman could hardly stand; her feet buried leg-deep in mud and rain. She tore her black hair away from her flushed cheeks. She wanted to scream. Everything she felt seemed the epiphany of helplessness and despair. She felt death loom over as though ready to take her at any moment. She spun her head around, her auburn eyes at the brink of tears. It was all around her, that horrid feeling that something was watching her, stalking her, playing with her. She felt hunted and alone, fearful for her life.

                Yet above all fear for her own survival crept the fear of loosing the two girls to the merciless hands of the storm. She shivered as she recalled the piercing scream she had heard but a few moments before. It seemed filled with the fear of impending death, like the cry of a calf as a hyena moves in for the final blow. She placed an ashen hand above her trembling, pasty lips. She could almost taste the nausea in her tongue at the thought of such a sight. She swallowed in, fighting the desire to just retch it all out. She bent down, clutching at her stomach. It felt hollow and empty, yet her throat said otherwise. She wanted to let everything go, all the pain, all the fear, all the loneliness she had kept inside. It seemed the perfect time to release them, before they took over her and her will to survive yet she knew she could not. It was never that easy. Nothing was ever that easy and now she would exactly what that meant. She would lose these two children as well, just as she had lost her own precious child. "Shinta. Help me," she whispered into the wind as she lurched forward to release only the feeling of a phantom lunch and drips of stale saliva. She hated the bitter taste.      

                She wiped her lips with the back of her hand hastily as she struggled to place one foot before the other. The wind howled behind her ears, threatening to sway her balance on her unsteady path. She slipped, falling face first into the dirty mud. For a while, she had forgotten to move. Her whole body ached and she felt too heavy to stand. The rain pelted at her back, pounding bruises unto her bared legs and arms. Her neck, most of all, felt the worst pain and cold. She wished she had grown her hair longer to ease the feeling of nakedness on her neck.

                The lone being stood up in the mists. Her hands shook fiercely as she struggled to lift herself to her feet. Once, twice, three times she slipped and fell, yet undeterred determination flamed in her eyes and she struggled once more to stand. She pushed the ground with her arms then steadied her footing beneath her as she slowly stood up. Her pale white uniform was brown and muddy. It seemed more a beggar's rag than a nurse's garb though she did not seem to care. She tilted her sullied face upwards, towards the sky, as she let the rain fall upon her face to wash away the mud and grime. She let it trickle down her nose, her cheeks, her eyes and unto her neck. She lifted up her arms, welcoming the cleansing rain. The winter chill came once more, howling and roaring through her lithe form and she shivered at its touch. She brushed her matted hair away from her face with her hand as she continued her trek, completely blinded to her surrounding by the heavy mist.

                Suddenly, she felt an inexplicable familiarity with her surroundings. Though the mist covered the scenery, it could not hide the slope and feel of it. It seemed as though she had been there before. A small flicker of hope surged through her, just enough to give her the strength to move on.

                She found herself in a small clearing, devoid of the tall grass that covered the lower parts of the park. There was a certain feeling of unexplainable warmth, which surrounded the place. It felt strange, surreal and unnatural yet inviting and comforting as well. It felt the only place that could be alive inside this horrid storm. She trudged on further towards it, letting her instinct guide her through the darkness and into its warm embrace. Perhaps she would find them after all.

*********

                His cat-like ears perked up at the slightest sound. Indeed, he had heard her before he could even distinguish her figure from the haze surrounding them. His keen eyes were fixated upon this being as she came closer and closer to him and his charges. He felt a sudden surge of anticipation for this new arrival and yet he also felt the tug of apprehension in his stomach. He weighed the two in his mind, his brows knitting in a grim frown.

                On one hand, the girls had a better chance to get to a hospital with the woman. She would probably be able to apply some medical methods to keep Sakura alive until help arrives. But if he left them, they would lose the only source of heat and warmth that they had at the moment. He knew both Sakura and Tomoyo would not last long if left out in the cold. And what if the woman could do nothing to help? Footsteps grew louder as the leaves and grass crackled at the woman's feet. He could almost hear her gasping breath and feel her weary heartbeat. His own began to quicken as he stared at the shadowy figure approaching, growing even more impatient as it gradually became more vivid to his golden eyes. He had to decide. He couldn't be seen with these two girls. In fact, he shouldn't be seen by anyone else at all. Too many people have come to know of his existence and more would only mean trouble for him and his mistress. He gritted his teeth. The woman's features were almost visible, her black hair and firm arms slowly stood out from the whiteness of the mist. She was almost upon them, could almost see him for what he was. He growled silently waking Tomoyo with the slight movement of his jaw. His brows knitted even deeper, gaining a look of worry from the weary girl.

                "What's wrong Kero? Do you feel anything?" she said silently, fearful of the beast's expression.

                Kero pointed at the figure with his muzzle. 

Tomoyo followed his direction and squinted. She could see nothing at first, sleep still heavy in her eyes and the mist, thick beyond her sight. She stared even harder, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. Bit by bit, she saw a woman's outline emerge through the thick veil. She sighed in relief, immediately recognizing who it was.

 "The woman's coming. I don't know if she'd be of much help but I can't be seen in this form. I have to change. There's no other way."

Tomoyo nodded slightly. A part of her felt sorry to have to lose Kero's warmth and protection yet another felt relief at the woman's arrival. She cast a quick glance at her friend, making sure she was still breathing. She had hoped they would be able to fly to help as soon as the mist and wind dissipated but this seemed to be better than nothing. Nami was a nurse after all. She had to know something. Tomoyo bit her lip. She _hoped_ Nami knew something.

Almost instantly, Cerberus rose from the ground, surrounded by a feint luminescent glow. His large wings emerged from his back to completely cover his figure as the transformation took place. And as quickly as it had begun it was soon over. His wings became smaller as his toy-like form materialized from the light. He slowly floated down, just above his mistress' sleeping form. With one last worried glance at Tomoyo, he hid himself under Sakura's arm, posing as a mere stuffed toy to comfort the girl. 

*********

                She felt light as a feather, as though she herself were made of mere air as she drifted with the silent breeze. Everything around seemed swallowed by the heavy darkness, empty and silent. She could hear nothing but her own breathing and the slightly faster beat of her heart. She knew it for the dream that it was.

                She let her head fall back as though she were lying on an invisible bed of clouds. It almost felt peaceful there, like floating through eternity with no pain and no joy, just peace and undying serenity she thought she would never feel once more. She wanted to stay that way forever yet she knew it was an ephemeral moment, just as every moment was in this place of dreams. She could already feel the winds shifting around her, small sounds barely audible buzzing in her ear, footsteps and chatters, life and death, all swirling around her. She opened herself up to this world, opened every part of her being to all that is around her. She had learned to control her senses but a few nights ago, to pluck out one sensation at a time and discern it from all the rest. She felt somewhat alive that way; as though she had been given at least this one link to reality that reminded her she did not belong in this place. 

                She smiled warily as she picked up but one thread of aura that made up the entire tapestry of pulsing power. She felt its warmth radiate at the slightest touch of her own aura. She tugged at it lightly, feeling the small breeze it brought about. She wished she could pull them all, take every one of them and wrap herself within them, feeling the infinite throb of power that held together her Hades. It felt so inviting and almost impossible to let go, as though it was a part of her she had found at last. Yet a strange tickling sensation reminded her it wasn't right. She wasn't supposed to be here, doesn't belong here. It felt unbearable to let go yet the _change_ had already begun.

                She found herself in an empty corridor, save perhaps for all the ornaments that littered each side of the wall, staring lifelessly at her. She began to shiver. She walked the length of the hallway, never once looking at her silent watchers, fearful that they may come to life all too soon. She could hear nothing but the grave silence that seemed to ring in her ears and she wondered if she had gone deaf. There was no sign of any visible life within this antique and forsaken place, which she walked in, except perhaps that it may have been furnished by someone living so long ago. She sighed in weariness as she continued along the hall, drops of cold sweat trickling down the base of her neck, anticipation heavy on her brows.

                The walls were of an old reddish wood, oak or perhaps even teak and they were varnished into an even deeper red than was naturally possible. They glowed as she passed by, though only a dull reflection of their former self. "It must have been beautiful before", she said to herself as she moved on, never letting her eyes stray too far for her own good.  On the floor beneath her was a lush red carpet, which muffled the creeks of the otherwise noisy floorboards below. They were probably old and rickety, just like everything else within the hall, yet she thought that they might have been of the same beautiful red wood that had been used on the walls. She somehow wished she could see this place in its former grandeur than in its sorry forgotten state now. It would have been a more pleasant dream. 

                Further on, the walls became more ornate and elaborate, as though she had reached an important part of the room. Delicate carvings of ivy vines and cherry petals falling and drifting in the fictional breeze decorated the hard red walls, giving them an old romantic charm. Birds of different sizes, swallows drifting in the air, nightingales singing in their perches, kingfishers wallowing by the flowing stream, depicted a life of much happier times, when everything was alive and young children ran through these very same halls, sighting the birds as they passed by. Yet none could be seen now though she could almost hear feint laughter if she strained her ears. They were of no condolence now, merely a reminder of what she had missed and what she is about to see. Once more, she could feel the _change_ flowing through the halls, through the very wood on which she stepped and through the ivy that swirled in each and every direction. She felt a chill run down her spine, as though someone had touched her neck, yet she knew there was no one there. She was alone once more, dreaming, and she couldn't wake up. 

                She moved forward, tracing the small birds with her fingers as she walked by. She could feel the fibers of aura that held every delicate etch and notch of the bird's feathers. She could name them if she wanted; wood, as though it were still alive, fire, blazing almost carefully to give warmth, and wind, singing softly to those who would care to listen. She knew then that everything here had been carefully made, crafted with the utmost care and attention. Everything screamed of love and affection and yet of sorrow and despair as well. She could feel the burden, which hung from the stale air she breathed and it saddened her even more. She felt the same way, the same longing and loneliness that seemed to take the life off of everything and everyone.

                Sharp creaks destroyed the utter silence. For a moment, she had forgotten to breath, anticipating the _change_ she had felt before. Yet nothing came and the eerie silence was undisturbed once more. She eased up, letting her shoulders slouch slightly as she breathed a sigh of thanks. For some reason, she wasn't ready to leave this place, not just yet. It felt right, just to be there, and welcomed. Even the ghastly antiques seemed inviting at a second glance, and for a minute she thought they were all smiling at her. The carvings, the statues, the pictures and portraits that hang randomly at each side of the hall, all gazing down at her with a gleam of life in their painted eyes. She smiled back, nodding her head slightly in thanks. 

                She walked at a slower pace, carefully examining every detail that caught her attention. She saw lush gardens at the farther end of the walls, with animals of all kinds living peacefully in their carved utopia. She watched as a deer bounded merrily through the thick of the forest, through the evergreens and the wild firs that seemed almost out of a jungle. Large trees lined up the edges, their roots flowing even through the borders that cut the walls in half. She could see flowers of all kinds, those she knew and others that seemed too extraordinary to be real. Large blooms the size of her head and even larger ones fell from the ceiling as though they were truly falling from their branches. She followed the blossoms up to the ceiling and her eyes widened with both surprise and amazement. The ceiling itself was carved entirely into thick branches and rope-like vines, one on top of the other as though it were dangling. It was marvelous in its complexity, never once leaving an empty space for the eye to creep into. Everything was filled to the brim that it seemed hard to determine the actual thickness of the ceiling. More flowers and buds that have not yet bloomed scattered randomly through the branches and thorns, as though they were alive in a garden that was real. She wondered if she could pluck one out if she cold reach and she smiled inwardly at the idea. It was as though she had thought of it before, though perhaps in another lifetime when everything here was lively and filled with happiness.

                Another creak rung through the halls, announcing the arrival of the _change_ she had feared. She crinkled her nose as she felt a sudden tickling sensation. She realized that a few bits of dust and soot had trickled down from the ceiling and right on top of her nose. She stifled a sneeze as she slowly looked up, her eyes widening in sheer terror at the sight that greeted her. The walls muffled her screams.

                Branch after pointed branch slowly began to stretch down towards her, gleaming in the same red varnish the walls had, though now it seemed menacing and frightful. She was afraid to move, yet she inched her way backwards, her feet shuffling silently on the thick carpet. One by one the blooms fell from their branches unto the floor. She stared in horror as the petals slowly began to take on a yellowish tone, strikingly different from the rich red it once had. It seemed thin as it slowly curled up, brown eating at the sides. She smelled the reek of decay as more flowers fell. It was all she could do to keep from bursting into tears as she watched the once delicate flowers rot into a ball and then turn into dust. She looked back and saw that everything was gone, and nothing of the hall's former beauty remained. A lone tear trickled down her cheek as she watched a small breeze carry the remnants of paintings and vases into the gloom of the darkness, nothing but dust traveling in the wind.

                She winced as a she felt a slight sting on her cheek. She touched her face and felt the sticky liquid that seeped through the wound. Once again, the branches and thorns had come into focus and everything else seemed distant and unreal. A large limb rushed towards her, brushing her hair and cheek with its rough bark. She felt more scratches begin to bleed yet she could do nothing to move. She looked up and more twigs and thorns met her gaze, poised like snakes ready to strike with their knife-life fangs. She could see the sharpness of each branch, all pointed towards her. The vines had fallen down, some dangling from the ceiling as though they were real, some already at her feet, creeping unto her legs and arms. She shrieked as she stepped back, further from the horrible slithering vines that sought to hold her in place for the final assault. More came down, thorns of all sizes, equally sharp and deadly, all pointed towards her. She began to feel her legs once more, though they were shaky and unstable; she knew she could move them. She looked past the suspended branches and twigs and saw a small slit of light pour through on the other side. It was a door! She looked longingly at it, wishing she had gone when she first felt the _change_ instead of taking her time. She was afraid to run; the blade-like branches walling her from her only means of escape, but she had to try.  "I would rather be skewered while running than while standing stupidly like a target", she said to herself as she readied to bolt. 

                She backed up to the wall, keeping as much distance from the pointy branches that desired to kill her. Inch be inch, flattened against the wall, she crept towards the left where there were less thorns and vines. Her mind screamed run but she kept herself at a steady pace, hoping not to arouse attention to herself. Yet the branches turned slowly, each bending this way and that so that their pointed ends always faced her. She stared at them, horrified, one branch just inches from her breast. She took another step sideways, keeping her eyes on the knife-like ends. "One more step", she told herself. "It always takes just one more step," yet she feared she had too many steps to take before she ever reached the door. She squared her shoulders as she inched her way towards the slit of light, her eyes never leaving the thorns that followed her. _One more step. _It came, as a whisper but she knew it was not from her. _One more step! Don't be afraid! _It was urgent yet filled with encouragement. She felt a sudden wave of hope rush through her as she heard the gentle familiar voice ring through her ears. _I'm here! Just one more step and I'll find you! Just past the door! _She closed her eyes, smiling softly to herself. When she opened them, they were filled with determination and strength, emeralds blazing as though they were rubies instead. She had made up her mind. She would not be a victim any longer. She would take that step even if it killed her!

                She braced herself, staring squarely at the pointed end. "One", she whispered to herself. She placed her left foot slightly in front. A branch came rushing towards her head yet she moved it to the side just in time. The scratches began to sting. "Two." Another one came and she dodged it with the dexterity of a gymnast. It made a ghastly wound on her shoulder yet she paid it no heed. "Three" _Now! _She bended forwards, using her arms and leg to push her from the wall and propel her towards the branches. The knife-like ends stiffened at attention and rushed towards her. In a split of a second, she flattened herself unto the ground, the thorns barely missing their mark. They brushed through her back, making scratches too horrid to look at yet she knew she was alive. Looking back, she saw that she had but a minute to stand and run before the branches resume their assault. Some had pierced through the wall at the very same place she had been just a moment back, and she swallowed hard at the though of being there at that _moment_. Yet she caught herself and realized that most were still rushing towards her. In a blink of an eye, she had stood up. She ran as she had never run before, her form merely a blur as she raced towards the door. She could feel the branches and their deadly ends barely inches from her back, one passed just above her shoulder, leaving another ugly would. She felt one ready to strike at her feet and jumped quickly to avoid it. Then another at her side and another, ready to strike at her head. She threw herself forward and flipped, just in time to see the branches strike the red carpet, completely missing their target. She smiled to herself as she landed gracefully unto her feet, never breaking the run. More branches came yet she evaded each as efficiently as she had the others though some left a scratch or two. But she was almost at her destination and she would not allow herself to be stopped. She stretched her hand before her, ready to push through the door at any moment but her eyes grew wide as she saw more branches dangle just in front of the light. They twisted and turned, merging into one solid branch then suddenly became firm, making a large blade the size of her head and pointed straight at her heart. She could feel the air leave her. 

                Everything seemed to stop at that moment as she faced the blade ready to decapitate her or impale her. She couldn't think which was the worse way to die yet she knew either would be as inevitable as the other. She was going to die! It didn't seem to make sense, to die in a dream. She had done it before, placed a blade at throat and at that moment she had thought she would die. Yet she woke up with nothing but the fear of the feeling. It didn't make sense why she shouldn't just let things happen. She didn't want to feel the pain anymore. She wanted nothing but to wake up.

                _Just one more step!_

She bended her neck in a heartbeat, just out of instinct as the blade flew towards her head. She allowed herself to fall to the side then quickly realized she was still alive. She felt the pang of pain as she touched her neck. Thick sticky liquid leached out from the side and she knew that there was a deep gash. But the pain reminded her she wanted to live, reminded her what life was, both painful and joyous, and she wanted it all. She rolled out of the way as the branches behind her hailed down to finish the job. She quickly stood up, not minding the pain or the weariness in her legs; she knew she had to make it. She could see from the corner of her eye that the large blade was again flying towards her. With one last effort, she jumped forward, pushing through the door and eluding the deadly end by a mere strand of hair. 

She could feel the warmth of the _change_ on her face as the light swallowed her entirely into its grasps. She could hear the energy pulsing through it as it had with the tapestry of her Hades. She could feel the auras merging into one to form a picture, to form the _change, _the threads weaving the patterns into the tapestry of auras. It felt unbelievable, beckoning and alive, as though she were in a dream. 


	7. Dreamwalker

**DAYBREAK**

**Chapter VI**

**_Dreamwalker_**

She could feel the warmth of the change on her face as the light swallowed her entirely into its grasps. She could hear the energy pulsing through it as it had with the tapestry of her Hades. She could feel the auras merging into one to form a picture, to form the change, the threads weaving the patterns into the tapestry of auras. It felt unbelievable, beckoning and alive, as though she were in a dream.  

It was unbearable, like liquid fire surging through her veins and into the very marrow of her bones, painful yet exquisite in every sense. It felt like dying but living all at the same time. It was power, pure auras that flowed through time and space like a stream or a river that could not be stopped. As the light swallowed her whole, she felt it reach into her and take her within its embrace. It felt almost natural in all its immeasurability and intricacy, as though it had been calling to her for so long and now lulled her as she stayed there, unmoving and still. 

            And then it was all gone. She found herself down on the ground, hands and knees flat upon the surface. It was almost painful; sad, to have lost the sensation of the _change _yet she knew it would not have been well to stay within such pure unbridled power for more than but a moment. She would have lost herself if it had been any longer. But the longing was there, and it tugged at her heart like a relentless child asking for a gift he could not care for. She could feel her aura stretching out towards it but she managed to call it back, before it even touched the edge. 

                She pushed herself upward, dusting off her skirt with her hands. She was wearing a silk dress of light blue, like the sky in the early morning before the sun has even risen. She smiled at it as she touched the hem of intricate laces and the bodice of delicate embroidery. She thought of Tomoyo as she reached down to the small cherry blossoms stitched just at the edge of her skirt. It would have been the sort of thing Tomoyo would make, if she were there now. 

                She gazed around, her hair floating around her face with the breeze. She though for a moment that they were longer than they should be but she quickly dismissed it. So much more things had happened within her dream world, it should be the least of her problems if her hair grew a few inches more. She laughed at herself inwardly as she studied her surroundings. 

                It was a desert, or an open plain, she could not guess. She could see nothing for miles but the flat ground and the never-ending horizon. She saw no trees, no grass, nor any living creature. She doubted if they could have survived were there any. She winced as bits of sand touched her eye. The wind had gotten stronger, carrying into the air the sand and dirt that comprised this wasteland. She hoped the _change_ would come for her once more. It did not seem better than the hallway now that she thought of it. She would not last long in this deserted place.

                She closed her eyes, reaching out with her aura to anything that could be touched. She wanted to hold the strands once more, just pull them out and see if they would bring about trees or perhaps monsters, either way she did not really care. Anything would be better than absolutely nothing, and that was all that she had here. She called out to the voice, reached out with invisible hands into the air in hopes that it might come once more. She needed so much to be comforted now that she was alone. _You said you would find me. Why won't you come? I'm here! I'm here goddamn it! Find me please! _She found herself crying out into the howling wind yet she herself could not hear. It was drowning her out and she could see nothing but sand swirling around her face.  

                It was instantaneous. She had hardly the time to feel the pull of the _change _when her surroundings began to blur and then come to focus again; only they were much more different from before. The clear gray horizon gave way to a void of emptiness. It was a dark, starless sky at which she gazed, and her heart pounded in her chest.

                The place was familiar. Her lips trembled as she silently named her new surroundings, _Hell. The blackness seemed thick and heavy as it pressed down on her senses, wrapping her in a blanket of fear and numbness. She could no longer feel the small weaves of the tapestry from which she could take hold of a few strands. Nothing was within reach in that dark cell that bound her; she was alone and indeed, worse off than ever before._

                Her skin began to take on its own eerie glow and she wished it had not. She knew she was standing but she could not feel the solid ground, only a small tingle that told her she was upright. She closed her eyes yet it made no difference. Everything was as dark and clouded as it had ever been and the light from her skin could not extend to the furthest corners of the gloom. She wished she were back in the hallway once more.

                Loud shrieking sounds shattered the impenetrable silence and her ears rung with pain. It was a horrid sound, one filled with fear, anger, devastation, mourning, and malice. It was everything she had never wanted to feel yet was all too real now. The requiem of the dead has returned for her and she knew what would happen next. She closed her eyes once more and clenched her hands at her sides. She could feel the soft silk brush against her thigh. She knew it was white, like new snow on the first morn of winter. It had always been white whenever she was in this place. It was perhaps a painful joke since white stained with blood was the epiphany of lost innocence. She gritted her teeth, her eyes still tightly shut. _Is that all I am? A symbol of something lost that could never been gained back? A toy for someone to play with? This is stupid! It's not fair! It's not fair that I had to lose him and it's not fair that I'm here! "Leave me alone! Isn't it enough that I've suffered while I'm awake? Isn't it enough that I've gone through every possible pain while my eyes are wide open?" She fell to her knees as she pounded at the floor that wasn't there. "Well now their closed and still you torment me! I need peace!" She let her tears fall but her eyes remained closed. "Just peace!"_

                Her own echoes answered her cry, weeping and sobbing as though mocking her weakness. She wished it would stop. She wished she could stop; hold back all her tears just as she had when that snake attacked her. But it came freely, as though everything she had held back inside was rushing forth to break free. Three years of suffering had come back to haunt her and it was all too overwhelming. She broke down at last, allowing he self to slowly slump on the floor until her face touched the cold smooth darkness. She slowly opened her eyes.

                Images came into focus, shadowy figures gradually took form, and she stared defeated at them. She could feel something wet beneath her face. It seemed too thick for water or tears. She could feel a sweet tangy taste at the edge of her lips and she lapped at it, slowly tasting the saltiness that almost seemed like human sweat. She stifled a scream but her heart could not stop from hammering against her chest as though it wanted to break free. She was lying in a pool of blood; everything was lying in a pool of blood, and she could see the reflections of the dead from the vile liquid. She could find no strength to stand. 

*********

                A soft hand lifted her head, her hair dripping with the red liquid as though it were mere water. Her cheek was deeply stained but she didn't seem to notice. Her eyes stared blankly into nothingness.

                He brushed away a few strands of golden hair that clung to her face. Her shuddered as he met her lifeless stare, as though the fire in her once bright emerald eyes had finally gone out. He knelt down though he hated the blood around him. He feared he was too late.

                The stranger placed the young girl in his arms, his knee supporting her back. Her hand fell to the side, swinging in the pool as though she were truly dead. He stared at her frail form lying quietly in his arms. Her face was gaunt and thin, adding years to her youngish beauty. Her evergreen eyes were dull as she stared up directly at him, not recognizing his presence. He bit his lips as he silently cursed himself. He had heard her call before but he had been too late. _I should've been here! It's too late. I've lost her! Damn it!_

                He looked at her intently, studying every detail of her face as though he wanted to memorize it. Pale white skin framed by golden curls that reflected the redness of the blood, which surrounded them, made her seem like a fallen angel. She had the most dazzling green eyes framed by long thick lashes, though they seemed dead and empty now. His eyes fell upon her lips, partly opened as though she were about to speak. He brushed his finger lightly over them, afraid to hurt her with the slightest touch. He smiled slightly as he stroked her cheek, which was dampened with blood. _Are you sleeping, princess? _

He lifted her head towards himself, gazing lovingly at the frail child of fifteen. She seemed like a woman in all sense and yet a child in every other. He could feel his heart pound within his chest, his muscles tensing slightly as he shifted his arms around her. Slowly, he placed his face closer to hers; his nose barely inches from her soft skin. He could still feel warm breath rise from her mouth and the slow heaving of her breast against his chest assured him she was alive. He smiled as he bent even closer. He brushed his lips against hers and he could feel a soft prickling from her touch. He kissed her, soft and light at first, then passionately as he carefully caressed her lips with his, breathing into her the warmth he could offer. 

Sakura's eyes grew wide as she began to feel the sensation on her lips. _Syaoran?_

*********

"She's waking up." 

                Everything came as a hazy picture, nothing distinct at first glance. The colors seemed as though they flowed continuously so that you did not know where one ended and another began. Purple and amber and a speck of gold were all she could discern at that moment, as though a thick veil had been placed above her head.

                But then slowly, images came into focus and she could see two women crouching above her, their eyes filled with worry and concern. Her other senses followed shortly after her sight. The first thing she felt was the hardness of the ground beneath her back. Small rocks and unpleasantly placed pebbles poked and jabbed her bony back, bruising her flesh and making for a most unpleasant awakening. She groaned as she slowly sat up. 

                "Where am I?" she placed a hand to her head as a sharp pain ran through her skull as though it would break it in half. She could feel Nami's strong hands behind her to give support. She smiled meekly in thanks. She felt unsteady all of a sudden, as though an inexplicable wave of vertigo had come over her.

                Nami placed a hand on Sakura's forehead and then on her own. "The fever's gone," she said, dumbfounded. She held the girl's wrist for a moment as she glanced at her wristwatch. "Pulse is at a normal rate, a little fast but steady and slowly dropping into the standard pace." She looked at Sakura in awe but a glint of silent knowing flashed in her eye. Sakura looked down, the pain almost subsiding, replaced by a slight tingling sensation pulling at the back of her mind. She decided to ignore it. 

"It's as though it vanished into thin air, almost magically, I should say." Nami slightly pressed her tone when she said magically. Sakura instinctively sat up, her eyes wide, looking straight at Tomoyo as though their secret had been exposed for the world to see. For a moment, she saw the same shock mirrored in Tomoyo's dark azure eyes but it was quickly gone. She was merely smiling, as though nothing had happened, and Sakura took to follow as well. She slumped her back a little to give the effect of being relaxed and nonchalant but she could see that the damage had already been done. Nami's light brown eyes sparkled in suspicion.

Nami stood up, bringing Sakura to her feet as well. "We might as well get going. The wind's died down a bit and I don't want to get stuck here if it picks up again. Our best bet is to get out of here as soon as possible." She took Sakura's arm and placed it over her shoulder so that she supported the girl's weight. 

Tomoyo nodded and slowly stood up, careful not to move her broken arm. She took the Book in her other hand and scooped up the stiff Cerberus who was trying his best not to sneeze. Tomoyo snickered as she watched the struggle in the toy-like creature's face. She could see that Kero was gritting his tiny fangs, ready to munch on her finger if she dared to laugh. 

They began their trek towards the hospital, which Nami believed was somewhere to the east. The mist still hung thick and heavy, blinding them from anything that could guide them on the right path. They groped rather than walked, extending their hands before them like three blind men walking in the dark. The wind hissed behind their ears, toying with their hair and clothes. Sakura shivered as the icy chill crept up her thin hospital gown. Her knees were shaking uncontrollably and she could hardly open her mouth with her jaws clenched and her teeth chattering. She could feel something tugging at the edge of her subconscious. She wanted to touch it but she couldn't take hold. The sensation was gone once more.

Sakura looked to her side where Nami was holding her, supporting most of her weight. She couldn't help but feel embarrassed for her own helplessness.

"I'm really sorry, Nami. I didn't mean to be such a burden," she said silently, her voice heavy with discomfort.

Nami glared at her, her brown eyes bearing into hers. "Damn right you're a big burden! If you were just smart enough to stay put when you're told and to follow orders then we wouldn't be in such a mess!" Sakura gulped.

Nami turned her flaming gaze on the quiet teen walking on her other side. Tomoyo looked up, feeling the intensity of Nami's gaze, and nearly yelped as she saw the anger it held. "And you! Where in the world should I begin? I thought you had some sense in you, being all prim and sensible looking! I didn't expect you to actually run into that storm alone! And for what? To get that goddamned forsaken toy! Have you lost all logic in your brain?" Nami glared even harder at the toy-like creature clutched in Tomoyo's good arm. Kero could feel small beads of sweat slowly form on his yellow brow. He struggled to keep his face still, fighting the urge to just bite the nurse's finger out for calling him a goddamned forsaken toy! He gritted his teeth, cursing and fuming under his breath as he kept his face still and as comical as he could manage. _The nerve of that bitch! How dare she call me, Cerberus, the great Sun Guardian, a toy! And a goddamned forsaken one at that! And what gives her the right to scold the Mistress of the Cards like that? Ooh, when I get my claws on her!_

Tomoyo felt Kero tensing in her arm and she squeezed him slightly to ease him. She knew he was fuming and it began to show on his round face. She looked worriedly at Nami. "I'm sorry. It's just that-," Tomoyo thought for a while, searching for just the right words to convince the glaring woman, "Kero's very important to Sakura." She placed a solemn look on her face, lowering her eyes as though she were about to cry. Cerberus nearly grinned at her performance.

"He was given to Sakura by her mother, on her deathbed. He's one of the last few remembrances left to her by her dead mother." Her eyes began to water and she slowly looked up for a more dramatic effect. Tomoyo strained her voice so that it sounded as though she were about to break down and croak. Sakura stared at her, bewildered at first, but then amused as she began to get the picture. She stifled a laugh and decided to help along. 

She sniffed, which wasn't hard at all since she could feel a cold coming up, and lowered her eyes. "He's all that I have left to remind me of her. I never really knew her because she died when I was very young. My papa said that she made Kero for me during her last days, so that I wouldn't be lonely and she could look over me through him." She looked up, following Tomoyo's example, and poured out all her emotions through her round emerald eyes. She could see that Nami was quite taken aback. She decided to go for the kill. Her eyes watering, she quietly added, "And when I look at him and hold him, it almost feels like I'm with my mother. I would feel so lonely without him." She looked down once more, hiding a smile behind her hair.

"That's why I had to go back for him. I would never forgive myself if Sakura lost the one thing that reminded her of her dead mother. I know that Sakura would do the same for me, had we been in each other's shoes. Wouldn't you, Ms. Nami?" Tomoyo gazed at her with big puppy eyes. Sakura snickered in response but quickly recovered, whimpering instead to cover her little slip up. Tomoyo continued. "Surely, you have something that is so dear to you that it's worth your very life."

Nami looked at Tomoyo and then at Sakura who was still looking down, stifling a laughter that tickled her stomach. Finally, Nami sighed in exasperation and smiled. "That's all well and fine, but it doesn't make what you did right and you can't blame me for getting worried and being angry. Still, I guess I understand how you feel. I myself keep Shinta's first mitten as a keepsake. I'd die if I lost it."

Tomoyo looked at her, a bit surprised. "Who's Shinta, if you don't mind my asking?" 

Sakura looked up, just in time to see a cloud of emotions play on Nami's face. She suddenly felt horrible for playing such a distasteful trick on her but she reminded herself that she had no other choice. _Still,_ she bit her lip, _that doesn't justify it._

"He was my son. He's gone now." Nami smiled once more, though it seemed forced and less carefree. "Now's not the time for story-telling. We've got enough problems here to deal with to add anymore. Let's go." She shifted a bit, hefting Sakura's arm higher so it hung properly on her shoulder. "Come on. I think we're getting nearer."

Tomoyo nodded and so did Sakura. Tomoyo passed her friend an apologetic grin and Sakura did the same. They both saw the hurt in Nami's eyes when she mentioned Shinta's name. They felt low for having played with her emotions to gain an advantage. 

The three moved forward in complete silence with only the pitter-patter of the rain and the horrid howling of the wind to break the heavy hush. They stopped once or twice, still unable to see anything before them but their own arms extending forward. Moving on, Sakura tripped over a root protruding from the ground, pulling Nami down with her into the sticky mud. It took them a while to get back up and an even longer while to regain the pace they had lost.  Nami muttered to herself as she struggled to push herself and the teen unto stable ground. She looked to her side where Tomoyo was struggling as well, one hand completely useless, the other too tied up at the moment. After finally feeling some hard ground beneath her, Nami paused, placing Sakura on the ground so they could rest. Tomoyo plopped down beside her friend wearily. No one spoke for a few moments.

Finally breaking the silence Nami spoke up cheerily. "So why didn't you tell me what you forgot? I could have gotten it for you, y' know."

Tomoyo froze, thinking a bit for a proper excuse. Sakura's voice brought her out of her thought. "I-I, umm, didn't want you to know. It's quite an embarrassing secret that only Tomoyo and I know about."

Tomoyo quickly picked up the lie. "Yes. After all, Sakura is now a teenager. It would be quite laughable if people knew she still carried a stuffed toy around, naming it Kero, of all things." Tomoyo laughed unsurely. Nami's eyebrow went up. Tomoyo smiled lopsidedly and looked at Sakura for help.

"Yeah, really embarrassing. I mean, look at him." Sakura gestured to the silent Cerberus with shaky hands. "He's- he's…." "Not even that cute!" Tomoyo quickly added. Sakura nodded. "He's ugly. Look at that big yellow face, quite improperly made. He's kinda big around the middle, you know, not proportional. He's not something you can really be proud of." 

Kero gritted his teeth and Tomoyo held him tighter, just to make sure he couldn't make a move. _Ugly? I'm gonna….._

"I don't know. He doesn't look so bad. I personally don't like the tail and those big ears, they make him look like a rat, but other than that he's quite acceptable," Nami said sincerely. Tomoyo flashed her a big smile while Sakura nodded in agreement. _ Rat?!_

"I keep him for more sentimental values," Sakura added.

_Traitor! _Kero's smile was quickly fading. Tomoyo squeezed him harder, gaining a little squeak from the toy-like creature. Nami looked at him intently and Kero quickly lied still, holding his breath so that the woman could see no motion. "That's odd. It just squeaked. Didn't know it was the type."

Tomoyo quickly hid Kero behind her back where he gladly took the opportunity to breathe a sigh of relief. "Old! He's old so he squeaks!"  Without giving Nami another chance to speak, she stood up, still holding Kero behind her. "Let's go! Like you said Ms. Nami, it's best that we get moving. It won't be good if we get caught up in the storm once more."

Nami nodded and Sakura agreed readily. They both stood up and Nami took her position under Sakura once more. They commenced to walk further towards the east of the cherry tree where they had begun. 

Sakura looked behind her. The sensation was back once more though it disappeared as quickly as it had come. It seemed at the tip of her tongue, just at the edge of her reach. She couldn't quite figure it out but it seemed irritating as well as persistent. She gritted her teeth in frustration as she struggled to identify the familiar feeling. Finally, she rolled her eyes in exasperation and decided to give it up. 

The three trudged in silence except for an occasional sneeze or two. They stopped to rest once more, still no nearer to their destination than before. They began to wonder if they were going the right way. "Are you sure this is right? The park didn't seem so big when we first came here. If I remember correctly, it was just a few blocks from the entrance of the hospital," Tomoyo said worriedly. 

Sakura shrugged. "Maybe we went the wrong way and now were going deeper into the park. I heard there was a forest behind it."

"That's impossible. There's a fence that separates the forest from the edge of the park. If we were going that way, we would have hit some sort of fence or barrier," Nami quickly answered.

Sakura sighed. "Maybe it got blown down by the storm and we just passed by it without noticing."

Nami shook her head, her face a visible sign of frustration and weariness. "There's supposed to be a stream between the park and the forest. We should have hit water even if we didn't notice the fence but all we've felt are mud and trees. I'm sure we're going the right way!"  

"Then why aren't we there yet?" Sakura said almost rhetorically as she stared up into the sky. She could see almost nothing through the mist but she did notice the heavy clouds begin to form above them. "It's coming back. If we don't get out soon we'll be stuck in an even harder downpour. I don't think I want that." Tomoyo nodded in agreement and Nami scratched her head irritably.

Tomoyo slowly stood up. She looked down to smooth her skirt but quickly noticed something under her foot. She crouched down to take a look, her eyes widening upon recognizing the item. She let the disfigured package drop and quickly ran to her side, groping through the air with her hand. Her two companions looked at her dumbfounded.  "What's wrong, Tomoyo?" Sakura asked.

The frantic teen didn't answer. She held out her hand as she moved along in strange zigzags. Finally, something rough brushed her fingertips and her brows furrowed in worry. She cautiously walked towards it, hoping it was a mistake, yet she quickly felt its solid form. Slowly, the mist around her dissipated, revealing a large cherry tree with bald branches and battered bark. "No." She fell to her knees, all hope leaving her. She saw her two companions slowly materialize before her but she didn't make a move. She was too tired to do anything anymore.

"What's wrong Tomoyo?" Sakura asked worriedly. She slowly walked towards her friend to give her a warm hug. 

"It's hopeless. We're back where we started. We've been walking around in circles all this time!" Tomoyo leaned on the rough trunk, resting her head on its hard surface to relieve the lightness in her head. She returned her friend's hug. "I'm too tired. I'm so sorry Sakura. I'm just so tired."

"Ssh! It's ok. I'm tired too, so is Nami. We'll just rest here a bit. We'll get out soon, don't worry." She soothed Tomoyo's once silky hair, now a matted mess of dark tangles and stray leaves and twigs. She looked towards Nami but she too had a defeated look on her face. Sakura looked up. The tree seemed such a horrible sight now with its twisting branches that seemed like claws and it's rough bark filled with scratches that appeared to be mocking smiles. It was an admonition of their helplessness.   

She silently cursed as she took a seat beside Tomoyo, leaning on the hard trunk as well for support. _Darn it! Why can't we get out? It's like….like…._Tomoyo's voice rung in her ears. _We've been walking around in circles all this time! _Something tickled her senses once more. Suddenly, she realized what it was, like a puzzle slowly coming into shape. She quickly sat up and closed her eyes. Concentrating her aura to reach out towards the feeling, she scanned the area. She quickly felt its familiar tug and she immediately knew where it was coming from. _Going round in circles! It can't be, can it? But it's impossible!  _

                She faced Tomoyo, her eyes wide with fear and worry. Tomoyo looked up, sensing the exigency in her friend's actions. "What is it Sakura?"

                "The book, where's the book?" Sakura asked urgently, keeping her voice down so Nami could not hear. 

                Tomoyo looked to her side and brought out the book with an unsteady hand. She gave it to her friend who took it carefully into hers as though it were a bomb ready to explode. She slowly opened the lid, her hands shaking. Sakura picked up its contents, gently shuffling the cards until she found what she wanted. Her eyes grew wide and she gulped in a shout of surprise. Tomoyo looked down, unable to understand what her friend saw.

                "What is it Sakura, what's wrong?"

                Sakura kept her eyes on the card, almost disbelieving of what she saw. "The Loop, it's glowing."


	8. Man In My Dreams

**DAYBREAK**

**Chapter VII**

**_Man In My Dream_**

"**Y**ou shouldn't have done that." 

                A few seconds passed in silence before small creaks became audible. A figure slowly emerged from the shadows, his handsome face clearly defined by the glow of the lone candle in the room. He smiled ruefully, deepening the features on his face and his companion could not help but smile as well, though concern was prominent in his eyes. 

                The stranger sighed. "Maybe you're right." He combed his hair with his hand absentmindedly, remembering the sensation he felt when he touched her, when he held her limp body in his arms, and kissed her soft lips. His face darkened to a scowl and his friend merely smirked. "I know! I know!"

                "Then you're mouth must've heard you wrong because I distinctly saw a kiss, even when you know it is prohibited by all accounts. We're not here for romance, if I might remind you." 

                "I couldn't help it. And she would have been lost if I hadn't done it." He sighed once more, exhaustion straining the soft timbre of his voice. He didn't like the feeling, whether he understood it or not. He didn't understand why he cared for her so much, knowing it was wrong, as his friend had said, and that it just wasn't meant to be. His brows met in an annoyed frown and he ruffled through his hair even harder, gaining a chuckle from his companion. 

                He looked at the young man just a few steps from him. His was handsome by all accounts, even beautiful perhaps with a youngish charm in his serious face. He smiled inwardly recalling their first meeting. The boy had had a fierce glow in his eyes then, sticking a gun at his back and threatening his life. He chuckled and his friend raised a questioning eyebrow. 

                "What is it?"

                "Nothing. I just remembered you and your gun." 

                "Then you'll remember that I still have it and if you do not want me to use it on you, you might want to tell me what we're going to do next. I have a feeling this is going to be a very complicated mission and I have you to thank for getting me into it."

                "Then you would have rather stayed at the agency?" the man asked, sarcasm clearly twinkling in his eyes. 

                The young man shrugged his shoulders as he slowly stood up, disturbing the circle of incantation papers around him. He looked at them, almost annoyed, and stepped at a few as he strode towards his partner. He didn't like making such a mess. "It doesn't matter what I would prefer. I am your partner. I'm obliged by the agency to follow your every stupid move and get your ass out of trouble when you can't handle it yourself."

                "Fine! Fine!" He looked at the boy before him, obviously upset with what he had done. He bowed down his head as a sigh of mocking apology and then straightened up, undisturbed by the fact that the boy paid him no heed and was quite unaffected by his little prank. He sighed to himself once more, wondering how such a young man could be so uptight. 

                "Sometimes I think Tatsumi doesn't trust me. He told you to take care of me, didn't he?"

                "Must you ask the obvious?" The young man seemed almost bored as he placed his hands inside the pockets of his jacket out of habit. He looked out towards the sole window within the rickety house where they had performed the ritual. He wrinkled his nose at the sight of the cobwebs hanging aimlessly about the room, even upon the gaping crack on the window's glass. He had been here a few times before, always to do the ritual, but he didn't have to like it because it was familiar. It was still unsightly and he was a man of order. "Why do we have to do it here? Can't we do it at the hotel? Maybe rent a private room so no one would know."

                The man grinned, his eyes twinkling in reflection of the full moon's light. "Afraid?"

                "No. Just disgusted," his companion said nonchalantly as though it were a matter-of-fact statement. He continued to stare out the window, oblivious to the friendly smile on the man's face. He watched as an owl swooped down from its perch, eyes glinting and talons stretched out, intent upon the little mouse that was to be its dinner. He made no reaction as the bird gripped its prey with its talons, ripping the little mammal into shreds. 

                "It's time to go."

                He nodded and followed his companion towards the door. 

                "Wait, aren't you going to clean up a bit?" he said as the man reached for the doorknob, which now seemed more like a blob of rust rather than a brass knob. 

                The man nodded and looked towards the living room where they had been a few minutes before. He saw the spot where his companion had been sitting, a small circle made of white paper strips that seemed to glow in the dark. He stared at it for a moment and then proceeded to opening the door. As the door squeaked open, the papers burst into flames, dancing randomly upon the floor, which did not seem to be affected by the small bonfire. He heard his friend grunt and he turned just in time to see a disapproving glare from the young man behind him. He smiled innocently and shrugged, sliding through the door without so much as a sound. 

                The young man sighed as though he were a mother trying to discipline an uncooperative child. He watched as the flames finally died down leaving a circle of ash in its wake. He frowned and looked towards the candle stand where a stick still burned. A small breeze entered through the broken window, silently extinguishing the light on the candle and breaking up the circle on the wooden floor. The flame flickered and then finally died down, leaving the room in darkness except for the moonlight, which flowed from the window. He stood there for a moment, arranging his thoughts.

                A head popped through the opening of the door, bringing the young man out of his brooding. "Let's go, Hisoka."

                The young boy nodded and silently left the house, closing the door behind him. 

*********

                A silver head emerged from a pile of newly bought breads, his usually gentle and carefree face suddenly darkened with an anxiety he could not understand. Something had pulled at his being, something strong and thoroughly inexplicable to him and he frowned at the thought. He stood still for a while, almost forgetting the pastry-filled basket in his arms, wondering if the feeling would come again. A familiar voice woke him from his thoughts. He looked at the young man coming towards him with dark brown eyes that were, at the moment, heavy with the same anxiety he felt.

                Placing a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder, he worriedly asked, "What's wrong, Yuki?" 

                The silver-haired angel merely smiled, having forgotten what had taken his attention in the first place. He wondered at that. Having been an honor student in his class, he thought it was quite odd to be so absentminded on other things, especially strange things, like this. "Nothing, Touya. Just something in the wind, I guess."

                Touya, unsatisfied with his best friend's answer, looked intently at Yukito's face, searching for something he knew he would not find. He sighed, letting his hand fall to his side. Yukito looked at him, completely oblivious to his friend's searching gaze, and smiled sweetly once more.

                "You're right." Touya finally looked up, his face clearly showing that he did not like what he saw. Though he had given most of his powers to Yukito's alter ego, he could still sense when some things were not aright, and at the moment, his alarms were ringing full force. "There're no stars at all. It looks as though it's about to pour but it only seems to be raining in one side of the town." He silently cursed himself, knowing full well that his little sister was somewhere in the middle of the problem and that he was nowhere near to help. 

                Yukito looked up as well, finally sensing the discomfort in Touya's tone. _He's trying to be calm but it never works with me. _"Maybe we should go visit Sakura. I haven't seen her since the first time she woke up. I truly miss her, don't you?"

                The dark-haired man looked at his friend with wide eyes. He grinned, nodding a yes to his friend's suggestion as well as his question. He really did miss his little monster and he would want nothing more than to be by her side to help in any way possible. He placed an arm over Yukito's shoulder and quickly stirred him towards the direction of the parking lot. "Y' know Yuki, sometimes I feel like you're letting on less than what you really know." There was a light feeling to his voice that expressed his sarcasm yet he knew he was speaking from the heart. He wondered if his friend knew as well.

                Yukito shrugged much to Touya's dismay yet his eyes were clouded with a certain understanding. He smiled, keeping his composure as he placed the basket unto the backseat and took his place at the front passenger's side. He would understand it soon enough, he thought, if he followed the feeling lurking at the bottom of his consciousness. _Something's telling me it's all going to turn out bad. I just know it_

*********

                "What?" Tomoyo hissed as she stared, astounded, at her friend. 

                Sakura's eyes were downcast, her gaze unmoving from the card she held in her hand. "I don't understand." It was almost a whisper to herself yet Tomoyo had heard. 

                "What? What's wrong? What don't you understand?" Tomoyo's delicate features were now drawn into a frown, her brow furrowed in both annoyance and fear. She bit her lip, obviously unsure of what to do next. She wanted to hold her friend, just shake her and ask her directly what was happening. She didn't like being kept in the dark, being useless and the last one to know. She fought the urge to shout and instead brought back her composure, waiting patiently for her friend to speak up.

                "Someone's using the card, Tomoyo." Sakura said, facing her friend with pleading eyes as though she held all the answers. Tomoyo remained silent, her mind rationalizing every possible detail, just as the heir of a major corporation is trained to do.

                "Maybe you did, and you just didn't know," she said reassuringly to both Sakura and herself. She found it hard to believe but it was the only reason she could think of at the moment. "After all," she added, her voice quaking as though she were unsure of her own words, "you're the only one who has power over the cards. No one can use them but the Card Mistress."

                Sakura's eyes lost their light, the glint of hope she thought she could find in Tomoyo's calm and plausible presence had completely evaded her. She gritted her teeth, almost angry with herself for depending on her friend too much. She felt something come over her, taking over her in her moment of complete weakness and she decided to surrender to its undeniable pull.

She felt a hand on her own to reassure her; warm and supportive as though to tell her everything would be all right. Yet she felt none of the ease that the gesture offered, only tension building up within her and the feeling of frustration upon everything around. She couldn't help it. She wanted to break everything and everyone around, just to run away from all the problems that assaulted her life. 

She grabbed Tomoyo's hand, pulling her friend towards her so that they were face to face. She could feel anger seething within her every word. She hated this girl. She recalled their previous fight, the cause of the standstill of their friendship, of all those lonely nights and painful days. It all made sense to her mind. _It was all her fault! _"Don't you get it? I can't use the card! I can't even summon that goddamned key! I have no power! And if that's the case, then somebody else is using it! Somebody else has power over the cards and that means we're in deep shit!"

                Tomoyo's face was a mixture of surprise, anger, and a feeling of being betrayed. She had never thought of her friend as one to throw her frustrations on other people. She felt as though she were facing a completely different person, someone in the shell she knew so well and yet with a completely different soul. Before she could stop herself, she freed her hand from Sakura's panicked grasp and slapped her friend across the face. She gasped, as though she had lost control over her own hand. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

                Sakura's emerald eyes were wide with terror as though she were lost; streams of tears pouring down her pale cheeks. Her hand instinctively found its way towards her soar cheek, the redness still visible and the stinging still fresh. She gaped at the girl in front of her, drenched and shaking just as she was, and she felt shame overcome her. She couldn't understand, didn't want to understand. The feeling came once more, beckoning her to the peace and numbness she had been longing for so long. She pushed it aside. 

                Tomoyo's features softened, her azure eyes filled with unshed tears as well. She slowly crawled towards her friend and took her in her arm. She soothed the frail girl, brushing her auburn locks with her fingers. "I'm sorry. It must be the weather. It's getting me down and in a bad mood."

                Sakura nodded, her face still buried in Tomoyo's embrace.

                Tomoyo gently pushed the young girl away, acting once more the role of the supportive and calm friend, which she had played for so long.  "Everything will be fine. But if what you say is true, then we're going to have to work harder to get out of here." There was a new determination in her voice, a strength that told her she would not give up just for her friend. It was a stubbornness she knew she had taken from a childish girl with bright green eyes she had known so long ago. "We can't very well wait for the thing to call upon stronger cards now, can we?"

                Sakura looked up, drying her tears and shaking her head, almost like a child. She smiled sweetly and Tomoyo felt her spirits rise up. This was the Sakura she knew, the happy and friendly girl she once called her best friend, the one who was always kind and sweet even when the world seemed to be turning on her. She wondered if this Sakura was real, just as the Sakura who cursed at her a while back was. 

                "You're fine now?"

                Sakura nodded, her childish smile still present. Tomoyo smiled as well, the type filled with confidence and composure, the smile she was mostly known for. 

                "What's going on there you two?" 

                "Nothing!" Tomoyo said, having almost forgotten that Nami was with them. She was amazed that the young woman had not heard their little squabble but then decided to dismiss it. The rain still poured, though not as hard a before, but hard enough to muffle the sounds and blur the sight, she reasoned.

                She stood up, knees a bit shaky in the slippery ground. She offered a hand to her friend and Sakura gratefully accepted. She smiled as she took Sakura's hand in her own, feeling a sort of warmth that was not present when Sakura had pulled her so abruptly. "So, what are we going to do?"

                Sakura stood up and held her arms. She could still feel the chill run up and down her spine and her legs tingled with its icy touch. 

                " What we are going to do is to keep on moving." Nami faced the two girls, hands on hips and lips pursed in a pout. There was a questioning look in her tawny eyes as well as one of authority that told them they had no choice but to follow her orders.

                Sakura looked at Tomoyo, almost wishing she could speak in telepathy to her friend. It seemed such a useful gift now that she thought of it. _We can't tell her anything but we have to seal the loop card back. I just don't know what to do anymore. She already suspects too much. What am I going to do?_

                Tomoyo smiled sheepishly, as though she had heard. Sakura looked at her in wonder, almost unable to cover the surprise written clearly in her face. _It couldn't be? Did she hear me?_

                "Ms. Nami, maybe we should scout around a bit. To cover more ground, I mean. With this heavy mist, we might actually have missed the way out." Tomoyo's voice was clear above the rain and wind, suggestive and yet commanding at the same time. Sakura felt assured somehow, looking at her friend work her magic that she just might be able to pull off whatever she was planning. She grinned and nodded quickly, obviously showing her preference for Tomoyo's plan.

                Nami however, wasn't as readily convinced as Sakura and gave once more that authoritative glare. "You want to get separated again? Our best chance is to stick together. We'll find our way out sooner or later."

"But it would be better to find it sooner especially now that there's a chance of an even heavier downpour. We can't risk staying here much longer and if we split up we can cover more ground. If one finds the right way, it would be better for the group than if everyone went around in circles." Tomoyo had no plans of backing down. The main point was that they get away from the protective nurse as soon as possible and then move on from there. Seeing her chance in Nami's lapse of silence, she decided to finish her point. "Besides, we can agree at a time to meet and use this tree as our reference point incase anyone lost their way. We can't all just follow one wrong path when there's a chance of finding the right one separately. If any of us finds the right way out, we can come back to this tree at the designated time and lead the others out. Even if we can no longer find the tree, we can find help once we get out."

                "We can't risk it. I mean I can't risk it. Look at you two!" Nami looked from one child to the next, pleading for them to understand. She was trying to stress her point and yet could not find the right words to say. She stared at Tomoyo, "You've got a broken arm," and then at Sakura, "And you're hardly capable of standing upright on your own. How do you expect to find your way around, let alone find your way out?"

                Sakura quickly straightened up, as though to show the woman that she could indeed support her own weight.

                "That's another point. We have two in our party, Sakura, and me who are quite inept at the moment. Don't you see that we're just slowing you down? Don't let pity get in the way of your judgment. You would have the highest possibility of finding the proper path if the two of us does not burden you. And if Sakura and I feel that we could no longer move, what then? Would we all stay in one forsaken spot if we're too far away from the comfort of this cherry tree."

                "But… What if you can't find your way back to the tree? If we all get lost, then what's the point in being separated?" Nami was slowly running out of ideas. She felt she was right, knew she was right, and yet she just couldn't show that to the girls, especially to the dark-haired teen who seemed to have each appropriate word at hand. She wondered if the girl ever considered a profession as a lawyer. She most certainly had the talent for it, seeing as how she slowly made herself sound right and Nami, wrong. 

                "It's a possibility we have to risk. We have to take a chance if we are all to survive." Tomoyo's eyes glowed with a sense of victory. She saw the young woman's face slowly fall and her stance of self-confidence gradually loosen into one of uncertainty. She seemed to be contemplating on her next argument and yet could not find any that made much sense or measured up to what had just been said. She was weighing things in her mind, by the look of confusion on her taupe eyes. But before she could open her mouth, Tomoyo took her chance and grabbed Sakura by the arm as well as the silent Cerberus who had been listening attentively. Sakura adeptly scooped up the book in her hand, slightly wincing at her wound that she had almost forgotten and followed Tomoyo's lead.

                "Wait! Where are the two of you going?" Nami was beside herself with panic and it clearly rang in her voice.

                Tomoyo looked back, hiding a mischievous smile behind her placid one. "Two lames would be better than one, I should say! We'll meet you back here after an hour or two. If we're not back be then, start shouting!"

                "What!" Nami started after them but the mist slowly swallowed their figures until she could no longer follow with her eyes. She cursed under her breath, irritated in more ways than one. She decided to follow the plan, whether she agreed with it or not, just because she had no other choice and picked out a path of her own. She kicked a few pebbles in her way, silently mumbling about how children these days were too smart-ass for their own good. She was finally concealed in the thickness of the shadows, leaving the cherry tree soundless and forlorn once more.

*********

                "Kero, I think it's time you transform again. We're going to need all the help we can get!" Sakura said, looking at the stuffed toy that had suddenly come to life in Tomoyo's arm. 

                The yellow animal gladly nodded and flew off from Tomoyo's grasp. Closing his small beady eyes, he concentrated on his aura as it slowly glowed around him, gaining more and more power each moment. Sakura smiled as she felt the comforting aura slightly tug on her own. She wondered if she called forth enough of her magic, would she be able to transform herself as well. Laughing at herself inwardly, she dismissed the thought, focusing her attention instead on the floating ball of light before her. Finally, having amassed enough power for the change, he commenced the transformation, willing each and every fiber of his body to effortlessly alter itself to fit the image he wished to realize. Large wings sprouted from his back, covered by the same light as the rest of his body, and enclosed him within their feathery embrace. Sakura sighed as the change ensued, feeling each force of magic that participated in the deed. After a few moments, she felt the auras finally fuse together harmoniously and she realized that the change was done. The large wings parted, revealing a golden beast of magnificent size. His head and chest were adorned with silver-plating, intricately designed and exquisite. Two large gems, rubies perhaps for they were deep red in color, festooned the beast's headdress and breastplate, adding only to his grandeur. His golden eyes glowed fiercely, standing out above all his ornaments and jewels.

                His face was drawn to a deep scowl, which most would have thought for anger, and yet the two girls knew as simply irritation over thinking too much. Sakura approached the large winged lion, confidently placing a hand on his muzzle. He slowly looked up. "It's true then. The card has been summoned?"

                Sakura shook her head, a hopeful smile on her face. "No. Someone's using it but they could not summon it completely. That would mean that I have not lost complete power over the cards, yet."

                He growled, obviously displeased with the news. "But it's not possible. I've never heard of it happening before when Clow made the cards. He made it so that the cards are sealed to only one owner through a contract that could not be breeched unless the terms have been broken or violated."

                "What are the terms of the contract, Kero?" Tomoyo asked, her voice both full of curiosity as well as apprehension. 

                Cerberus considered her for a moment then looked at his mistress for approval. She quickly nodded, quite interested in the answer herself, and he began to open his mouth to speak. "I'm not completely sure. Yue knows more about this than I do but most of the terms say that there must be a mutual relationship between the power and the summoner. The summoner must fulfill the task of supplying the power with….let's just say it depends on the summoner for its continued existence and in turn, the power must affix itself to only one summoner, giving him or her complete control over it."

                Sakura's smile fell, as though she was burdened with a heavy guilt. Her voice was unsure but filled with defeat. "Then I breeched the contract, or maybe violated it. That could be the only reason for this."

                "How do you think you could have done that?" Tomoyo asked, moving beside her friend, ready to comfort her.

                "I wasn't giving it enough of my strength, I completely….ignored it. It's just like that time with Yue. He depended on me for his very life and I failed him. My brother had to give him his power or he would have disappeared. Some Mistress I am!" she said, mocking her own self for her weakness. 

                Tomoyo placed her available hand on Sakura's shoulder, laughing at herself on how useless this gesture really was, yet it seemed to give Sakura enough encouragement and she was glad for that. "You're a good mistress," she said soothingly, completely believing every word, "and what happened with Yue could not be helped. You weren't strong enough then but at least everything turned out well in the end."

                Cerberus shook his head. "But it wasn't really a breech of contract, or at least I don't think it is. That part of the terms means that the card is dependent upon you until you can no longer supply it with power. That would mean your death." 

                Both Tomoyo and Sakura looked up, surprise wide in their emerald and cobalt eyes. "Death?" Sakura gasped. "Her death?" Tomoyo added.

                The guardian merely nodded.

                "But that can't be. It must be something else. I'm still alive, right?" Sakura asked, her voice laced with false gaiety. 

                Tomoyo nodded. "She's alive! Sure she's a little weak and all but she's completely alive! See!" She held up Sakura's wounded arm and shook it, gaining a surprised yelp from the awed girl. Sakura pouted, quickly regaining her bleeding arm from her friend who smiled apologetically.

                "I know that! I'm not blind!" Kero growled. "But that's all I know. I told you, if you want to know the technicalities of Clow's magic, ask Yue!"

                "It's fine, Kero." Sakura said reassuringly. "It's no use to try to know the cause. We'll just have to fix the problem with what we already know and we've got only one hour or less to do it in."

                "Then you'll have to completely seal the Loop once more, like you did in the past," the winged beast said almost assertively. 

                "But…" Sakura looked down at the pendant hanging limply on her chest.

                "But she can't summon the key," Tomoyo said, continuing Sakura's statement.

                  "Then she'll just have to try harder. It's probably just the jitters since she hasn't used it for so long." Kero bit his lip, sorry to have said it so forcefully without so much as a consideration for Sakura's feelings. But he had to do it. He had to make sure that the mistress survived at all cost. Sakura only nodded, a glint of disappointment in her evergreen eyes. 

                "Let's just worry about finding it first," Tomoyo said, hoping to lift up everyone's spirits, including her own. She gazed around and decided it was probably the wrong thing to say. The mist remained thick though the rain and the wind had subsided. Yet there was a certain heaviness in the air she only knew to be an impending turn for the worse in the weather.

                "It doesn't matter, Tomoyo," Sakura said confidently, noting the worry in her friend's eyes. She quickly understood what it meant though her friend had said nothing. It was clearly visible in her eyes, for those who knew how to read her. "I can feel it. I haven't lost that power yet. The problem is how to seal it." She looked down, placing her hand on the pendant-like key she hadn't worn for so long. Seeing it brought back a rush of emotions, memories of her past she had almost forgotten. It reminded her most of all of him. Her companions looked at her worriedly, unable to find the right words to comfort their friend. Finally, she spoke, her voice timid as though thinking aloud to herself. "I don't think it's the jitters. It felt as though there was a wall between the wand and I, something illusive yet all too indomitable to be completely false."

                She looked up at her companions, renewed vigor dancing in her eyes. "But we should think of better things. We'll find it first, and then worry about the rest later."

                Tomoyo smiled in approval and Cerberus nodded in agreement. 

Sakura closed her eyes, distancing herself from everything around her. She brought herself within her own mind, at the core of her being, and sought for the right auras that were needed for the search. Wind came to her beckon and was soon followed by earth and water. She felt them move together, dancing in an intricate web to form something homogeneous and solid with which to search. She formed it like a net within her mind, placing a bit of soul within it to weld each part to perfection. Finally content with her creation, she slowly released it, her aura reaching out in a form of an ethereal net. Cerberus gasped, unable to believe the complexity of the aura the young girl had weaved. He grinned, unable to hide his amusement and disbelief. 

She let it hover above her for a moment, catching the breeze as though it held the information she needed. She felt the slight tug of her net, the wind within her tapestry sensing the right aura. Deepening her concentration, she let her net lose, loosing sight of it even in her inner eye. But she didn't mind. She could feel her own weave no matter what and it surprised her at how easily she had made the link. Slowly, her emerald eyes opened and she smiled shyly. "I found it."

*********

A/N: I've noticed while reading other stories that most put in author's notes so I've decided to write one. I'm not sure if I'll be doing this for all the chapters but I just thought that I was being rude. I haven't exactly replied to some who made reviews so this is an attempt for a prolonged apology and thanks. So thank you, for those who have written me reviews, because they're all encouraging, and I hope you write more (so this is how people get reviews, right?). I hope I don't disappoint you in any way because I know my way of writing is quite long and descriptive and not a lot of people can bear through a chapter without losing interest. If you have any suggestions, I'm quite open and ready to hear them because frankly, I've run out of ideas. Oh, and on this chapter, I've introduced two new characters. Unfortunately, they're not mine. I just thought of it recently but I decided to write in characters from _The Darker Descendant. _It's an all time favorite of mine, and believe me they're really cute. But I forgot some of their names and details so I've changed them for my own convenience. I'm sorry for my lack of creativity (smiles lopsidedly). Thanks again and please review. (This turned out longer than I thought!)


	9. First Confrontation

**DAYBREAK**

**Chapter VIII**

**_First Confrontation_**

****

****

****

******T**he cold wind stung her eyes yet she paid no mind. She grinned slightly at the feel of the gale on her cheeks and on her hair, pulling it behind her face as though it had wanted to assist her. Of course, she knew better than that but it was nonetheless a wonderful feeling. She closed her eyes for a moment, partly to relieve them from the pain of the wind's icy touch and partly to regain the feeling of her unearthly net, wavering about in search of its prey. After a few seconds, she opened them once more, confidently pointing towards a large grove of trees, which seemed to remain undisturbed by the furious storm.

                "I've never seen this place before," Tomoyo shouted from behind her friend, obviously fighting to be heard above the howls of the rushing wind. She irritably brushed her flowing hair aside, almost losing her grip on her friend's waist, and then quickly recovering before she had fallen off the flying mammal that was Cerberus.

                "It seems familiar. I think I know this place," Sakura shouted back.

                Tomoyo thought hard for a moment, trying to recall their previous roundabout trips and yet could not find anything that seemed vaguely familiar about the place they were quickly flying towards. "We've never passed it."

                Sakura nodded. "But I've seen it. It's the grove near my window. We must be close to the hospital building."

                Tomoyo smiled happily and then remembered that the worst had just begun. She held on tightly to her friend's small waist with her one useful hand, bracing herself for a rough landing.

                With one thump and slightly bruised butts, the two girls landed safely on what more or less had been a solid ground. Sakura jumped off, offering her uninjured hand to her friend who took it gladly with small smile of thanks. 

                The two stood still for a moment, a strange contrast to their surroundings, which seemed unable to hold their place against the storm. Tomoyo noted that Sakura had indeed been right about the weather. She was most certain the wind had grown considerably colder than a while back. Finally, a large booming voice towered above the shrieking wind, bringing the two girls back from their solitary thoughts. Sakura looked to her side where Cerberus stood. His golden eyes were covered under great white lids yet his brows were drawn together in a disapproving scowl. He tilted his monstrous head towards the wind, as though he savored the chill, and then opened his mouth, his eyes still closed. 

                "It's here. I can feel the Clow Card's aura…. and something else." With that, he opened his eyes and stared directly at Sakura's emerald orbs, which did not seem the least bit surprised at his final comment. He grinned inwardly at how strong his mistress had become.  

            The young teen merely nodded, shaking off her long auburn mane that stuck to her face. She held out a key-like pendant in her hand and studied it for a moment, hoping that it would resonate in that wonderful glow that had covered her guardian a while back. Seeing that nothing had changed, she averted her attention towards the grove. "Tomoyo, please stay here. There's no use putting your life in anymore danger."

                Tomoyo nodded though every bit of her wanted to argue that she had to go. Somehow, she felt she had to be part of whatever was about to happen yet for what reason, she did not know. Keeping her feelings within herself, she stepped back as though to say they might as well go before she changed her mind. 

                Sakura slipped the pendant back inside her shirt and took a handful of Cerberus' golden hide as she climbed unto his back. She gave a thankful smile to her friend as Cerberus rose into the air, his powerful wings flapping just beside her bare legs.

                They rose higher into the sky, masterfully dodging loose branches and airborne leaves, until they found themselves directly above the circular grove of trees. Sakura looked down with certain awe, never knowing that the grove could look as strangely from above as it did at that moment. The trees were tightly compressed with one another so that their leaves made a completely solid canopy above. The leaves no more moved with the wind as a solid stone might and their edges seemed to form perfect curves at the right places, making a bizarre ring of green. It almost seemed to glow with a unique aura of its own, like a full moon amidst a cloudy sky. It was too perfect to have been anything but magical.

                They circled it for a while, not sure whether to go in or not. They could not see a single opening in the canopy through which they could enter and it seemed for a while that the trees themselves were enchanted in some way to keep them out. Cerberus growled beneath her, making Sakura even more anxious than before. She felt awkward hanging up in the air, and unnaturally vulnerable as she and her guardian circled the strange trees. She squinted her eyes as she struggled to see through the pelting rain any place that they might land. Feeling that her every effort was futile, she decided to try another approach. Closing her eyes, she concentrated her aura on the blanket of leaves that spread out thick beneath them. Realizing that there was indeed some magic woven into the trees, she guided herself through the weaves, hoping to find a single one loose enough to give them a chance to enter. After a few seconds, she found what she had been looking for. The outer rim felt almost impenetrable but there was a slight opening a few meters from the center. She thought it odd, especially since magic spread from the inside out and so, the core was the most powerful, but then decided to dismiss it and instead shouted out to her guardian her new discovery. "The weaving's loose just beside the center. Do you see that one branch sticking out? It's just a few meters from there. Do you think you can find it?"

                Cerberus growled a yes and dived swiftly down towards the opening Sakura had mentioned. Sighting the branch his mistress had pointed out, he used his senses to fish out just the right location. He made a sharp turn to the right, a few inches from his original course, and then opened his mouth as a great blaze spurt forth before him. Increasing the power of his flame, which hardly seemed to scorch the surrounding leaves, he drew his wings close to put force into the small opening. At last, they broke through and Cerberus opened his great wings once more before they touched the ground. They landed softly on a grassy field that seemed to stretch out infinitely. They saw no sign of the trees that had covered the area in a circular canopy from above and instead felt as though they were in an open meadow on a sunny afternoon. 

                Sakura looked up, amazed to see a clear blue sky instead of thick green leaves. From Cerberus' gasp, she knew he was amazed as well. She gazed around a bit, unable to keep a smile from creeping up her face. Her surroundings were a striking contrast to where they had been just a few seconds back. The weather was clear and warm with a sweet cool breeze that lifted her hair from her back. She felt the soft grass beneath her bare feet and she fought back the urge to just lie down and sleep. Strange, she wanted nothing more than to sleep.

                She felt something nudge her side and she was vaguely aware of the large beast shouting beside her. Nothing seemed important enough to ruin her peaceful day. She smiled dreamily, slowly sinking to her knees, her eyes half hidden under heavy lids.

                Cerberus growled. He could feel the Sleep's powers slowly wrapping around him, making his every muscle heavy with weariness. He struggled to keep awake as he watched the young girl beside him close her eyes, a peaceful smile playing on her lips. "Sakura! Wake up! It's the Sleep!" He could hardly hear his own voice, his mind drowning in thoughts of dreams and exhaustion. Struggling to keep awake, he bit his lips, tasting the slight tang of blood on his tongue, yet it did not seem enough.  Finally, he muttered, "I'm sorry about this," and scratched Sakura's injured arm with his sharp claws.

                "Ahh!" Sakura's eyes slammed open, a few tears welling up above her cheeks. She looked to her side where her left arm seemed a pitiful plight. Not only was it gashed deeply above the elbow; it was now bleeding steadily below. She cringed as she moved it closer towards her body, using her right hand like a lift to move the other. She was about to shout at her guardian for adding to her assortment of aches and wounds when she realized that he was sound asleep. She felt the Sleep card all around her, pulling her down with promises of sleep and rest, yet she found the strength to resist. She silently thanked the relentless throbbing in her arm that kept her grounded to the waking world.

                She struggled to stand, her body still heavy from the effects of Sleep and her arm in total pain. As she gained her balance and cleared her mind, she placed a small wall at the back of her consciousness that would prevent her from completely falling asleep, or at least she hoped it would. She took the Sakura Book, which she had conveniently placed under Kero's breastplate so that she wouldn't have to worry about loosing her grip on it, and opened it. She took out the Sleep card, which was glowing just as the loop card was. She shuddered to think if any of the more powerful cards had been summoned as well and quickly closed the book as though it might prevent the very thought from happening. With one last hopeful look towards her slumbering guardian and an unsuccessful kick, she decided to seal the cards by herself, though how she couldn't guess.

                She walked alone, carrying the Sakura book in one hand, keeping the other close to her body. At some point, she tore a strip from the hem of her gown and slung it behind her neck, using it as a sling. She wondered aimlessly through the lush green scenery that seemed so quiet it felt almost dead. She saw nothing but the endless perfect sky and the infinite grasslands that stretched out to meet it in the horizon. The wind was sweet yet it felt almost cruel as she walked through an empty meadow alone. Somehow, she wished her _Dreamwalker_ would find her just as he had found her so many times in her dreams. She wondered if he was real at all.

*********

                Tomoyo shivered as the cold wind battered against her skin. She snuggled next to a tree, which seemed ready to collapse and give way to the storm at any moment. Yet it was the only shelter she could find that hasn't fallen and moved closer to its bark in hopes of finding warmth. "No such luck." She stared longingly at the wall of thick trunks that separated her from her friend. She wished she had gone with her, if only to soothe her anxiety and fear for her friend's life.

                She placed her head on the tree's weathered trunk and hummed a silent tune that seemed to be carried by the wind into the storm itself. She listened for a while, hoping to hear Sakura call her name in her happy tune, just as she used to do when they were young. She smiled longingly, wishing she could go back to when things were much simpler.

                And then it struck.

                She balled up in pain, hands clutching at her chest for any sort of relief. She cried out yet she could hardly hear her own scream, drowned out by the howling wind that seemed only to get louder as her shouts did. She felt unshed tears form below her eyes, threatening to flow at any moment. She gave out a gasp as she struggled for air, her chest heaving strenuously as though she were under water and could not find the surface. 

                She cried as she laid her head on the mud, the pain still growing inside her. It felt as though knives have found their way inside her, slicing her from within. Her head throbbed like a drum before the war and she realized that she could not even hear the wind. Screams rang through her ears, meaningless and without words yet filled with pain and rage. She struggled to cover her ears but she could not block out the sound, not when it came from inside her, resonating like a bell. 

                Tomoyo shut her eyes, praying with all her might that the pain would subside. It was worse than anything she had ever felt before, like a flame had enkindled within, scorching her body as well as her soul, engulfing her within the blaze. She whimpered as she lay on the ground, giving in to the desperation that she had fought off before. "Stop it! Please! It hurts!" She let out a scream as a sharp pang struck her chest. "God! Help me! It's too painful!" She sobbed like a child lost on her own. She felt utterly defeated as she lay helpless on the soft ground.

                     An ethereal screech brought her back to her senses, heightening the pain that had slowly subsided. She struggled to look up, afraid that she had guessed right what had made the awful sound. She cursed under her breath, realizing her assumptions were right after all. The beast had returned.

*********

            It felt as though she had been walking for hours, her legs straining to keep up with her rigorous pace. She had seen nothing for miles but grass and more grass, dancing softly with the warm breeze that tickled her skin. Somehow, she began to wish for the cold rain and unforgiving wind outside this glass bowl of empty perfection, at least she wouldn't be so alone. Finally, she gave into her exhaustion and stopped her futile trek. She sat down on the soft grass, stretching her legs beneath her.

                She began to shout, releasing her frustrations into the wind and hoping beyond hope to receive some sort of sign that she hasn't really gone mad. "This isn't working! I'm tired and I'm sick of all this grass! Come out and let's get it done with!" She thought of no one in particular to address it to yet she felt better as the breeze carried her unheeded challenge into the sky. She'd have to wait for a reply.

                _You don't have to shout little girl. I thought you'd appreciate the perfect weather. You were so cold outside. _

                Sakura looked up, her eyes darting here and there in search of the voice's source. It had seemed to come from within her mind yet she knew it was not her imagination. The voice had a strange uniqueness to it, like a calling card by which it could identify itself. She couldn't articulate the feeling but in someway, it felt almost impossible and yet all too real. She scanned the area with large emerald eyes, a strange feeling of panic and anticipation rising from within her. Whatever it was, it wasn't on her side. She decided to fish it out. "Who are you?" She shouted once more, hoping the voice would answer back. After a few moments of undisturbed silence, she resolved to call out once more. "Who are you and more importantly, where are you? Show yourself!" She stood up, holding the book closer for what it's worth. Of course, she knew she couldn't use the Cards without the staff but they did give her a feeling of security. She was thankful for that.

                _What good is a name? You won't be alive long enough to call me by it._

                Sakura smiled smugly. "How sure are you about that?" she retorted, her voice tinted with sardonic laughter. She didn't know what she could do next if this being did appear but it was better to have this over with and done. She had a much better chance at sealing the Cards now than she had walking aimlessly before. She just wished she could prove her bluff.

                _You're afraid, little girl. I can see it in your head; hear it in your heart. _It sounded almost exhilarated as the voice rang through her mind. She felt the malice within it, flowing through her like an icy river. It was pure malice, a want for death without anger or rage. It was empty and hollow, like a being solely content on death and destruction, cruelty it's only face. She felt cold all of a sudden though her surroundings had not changed. The warm breeze could not melt the frozen river she felt inside her.

                _Cold, little girl? Or are you just afraid to die? _And with that, the blue sky turned dark and heavy, black clouds quickly cluttering the once clear space. The breeze grew cold, even colder than what she had felt outside in the storm, and it cut her skin like a knife through butter. 

She closed her eyes, the wind threatening to blind her if she didn't. It took all her strength to remain standing against the heavy assault of the wind, her knees buckling under her, ready to collapse at any moment. 

*********

                Tomoyo stumbled unto the ground, her foot entangled on vines and roots that have been unearthed by the raging storm. She brought herself up, fighting the pain that had once again ensued within her and the urge to look back at her invisible assailant. She felt a swift wind come against her cheek, leaving a bloody scratch upon its wake. She closed her eyes as she ran as far as her feet could carry her; to whatever safety she could hope to find in her desolate surroundings. Blocking out the shrilling screech that seemed to have come from beside her, she headed towards the thick wall of trees, panting as she gasped for air. She stifled a scream as she fell once more to the muddy ground, her right ankle in unbearable pain as the being took hold of it. She watched in muted horror as her leg slowly rose into the air, threatening to lift her off the ground. Her hands struggled to find something to grip, anything that would aid in her escape. She caught hold of a root and pulled with her able arm, feeling as though she were about to be ripped in two. Yet it gave her no help as she realized she was getting closer to whatever had hold of her. With one last attempt, she took the root in both her hands. She screamed in pain as she pulled with her broken arm but the thing's grip only grew tighter, lifting her carelessly off the ground. 

                She refused to let go even as she found herself hanging upside down in midair, still stubbornly clinging unto the root. "Damn it! Let me go!" She kicked at the being with her other foot, unsure whether she had hit it or not. Her fingers dragged in the mud as she found herself rising higher and higher. If she didn't get away, she knew she'd be sprawling on the ground like the last time; only there was no assurance that she'd still survive. She grabbed a stone as her hands lifted inches from the ground. With a fierce determination, she threw the stone as close to her ankle as possible. She followed it with another kick, and then another, wiggling around like a fish in the fisherman's hand. 

Next thing she knew, she was on the ground, her entire weight leaning on her broken arm. She heard something crack beneath her but she fought off the nausea that had risen up her throat. She lifted herself up, wincing as she stole a glance at her misshapen arm. She saw a white fragment peak out from a gaping wound. Her arm had swollen to twice its normal size and by the blue-green tint that had begun to spread beneath the wound she knew it was infected. She let out a groan as she scrambled unto her feet. She ran towards the wall of hard trunks and branches, unsure why she headed there in the first place.

The ringing in her ears had escalated into a high-pitched wail. She collapsed unto a hard surface, digging her fingers through the tough exterior of the woody barrier to help keep her upright. She held a desperate sob as she searched for an opening through which she could squeeze her thin frame. She could hear her heart pound faster as she felt her assailant draw near, filling her with a wave of urgency she could not shake, even as she struggled to enter a small gap beneath intertwining branches. 

She heard the final screech, one so loud that she found herself staring dumbly at a misty figure rushing towards her with what seemed like blades instead of hands, awaiting the inevitable blow she might never awake from. Then all at once, she felt herself melt into the wall, separating her from the monstrous being that was slashing furiously at the place she had been a few seconds back. Forgetting the pain burning through her, she watched in profound disbelief as the being shimmered then dissipated into the air. Tomoyo stood in silence, shock overwhelming the sense of relief from her escape. She gave out a sigh taking a few seconds to realize she was staring into familiar emerald eyes that reflected the same disbelief and surprise she felt. It was all she could do to stop herself from flinging her arms unto her friend.

"To-mo-yo?" Sakura stared at her with wide teary eyes, mouth agape in pure forthright astonishment at what she saw- a familiar dark head melting through the very scenery, followed by the rest of the body, all in a matter of seconds. She had hardly the time to blink before this strange apparition turned and stared at her with distinct azure eyes. She reached out then stopped in slight hesitation, "I could be dreaming again, right?"

Tomoyo shook her head, uncertainty prominent in her navy eyes. "I don't think so, or we'd be dreaming the same thing."

Her friend replied with a smile. Tomoyo fell to her knees, the numbness shock had brought her was quickly fading. Sakura caught her before she landed and slowly settled her unto the grassy floor. 

_What's she doing here? I have not permitted her within my realm! Witch! What have you done?_

Sakura turned around, trying desperately to follow the voice that seemed to disperse then resound all around her, leaving an annoying feeling of hollowness in her head. She strained her ears as well as her senses but all she could find was that small ringing that followed the voice and a slight tinge of something she'd never felt before-the being was just as surprised as she was at Tomoyo's sudden appearance, and completely aggravated by it as well. 

"I thought you were so powerful but you can't even keep teenagers out of your precious realm. And to think Tomoyo doesn't even have magical powers to begin with! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Tomoyo looked at her despite the pain in a what-the-hell-are-you-doing manner. Sakura tapped her head as though her friend would understand. Seeing the quizzical look on the fallen teen's eyes, she realized she did not. Sakura hissed a never mind.

_You are as insolent and as ignorant as he said you would be. _

"He?"

_It doesn't matter. This was just a game. I wanted to see for myself the power of the great Card Mistress before everything began but it seems he had given you far too much credit. I shouldn't have bothered if I had known you would be like this. There's nothing to worry about._

"What are you talking about? How dare you call this just a game? You've hurt so many people including my best friend and you call it entertainment! I swear, as soon as I find you I'll kill you! And for the last time, who's he?"

_Feisty little brat! Big words for someone as small as you. But I am weary of your shouting and your powers are not yet worthy to face mine. I don't fight when I've lost interest!_

The dark clouds that hovered in the horizon quickly dispersed and all at once, the icy winds ceased their tumultuous assault. The once black sky overhead that seemed ready to release a deadly storm had turned a light and sunny blue. Everything was as it was, as though no impending storm had threatened to blow them away just a while back. The grass danced with the breeze once more.

Sakura fought back the urge to stomp her feet. _The nerve! "_You're just afraid! If I were you I wouldn't miss this chance! After all, this might be the only time you'd be able to defeat me, when I'm weak and injured!"

_Hmp! You talk too much for someone as weak and injured as yourself. The loop is by your feet. I tire of this and most especially of you. Seal the damn card and get it over with!_

"Asshole! I'm not stupid enough to believe you!" She felt Tomoyo tug at the hem of her tattered hospital gown. "What?"

"You might want to consider looking at this."She pointed down with her eyes.

Tomoyo's legs seemed endless as she slowly stretched them out. She looked at her back where she found her feet pointing in a most peculiar direction- upwards. It seemed almost grotesque as she willed her feet to move and they did, only behind her whereas they would normally be in the front. She stared at them in awe. "Sakura, I don't think this is normal," Tomoyo said besides the throbbing in her head. The pain had slowly resided and all that remained was the aftershock, a distinctly bothersome migraine. 

Sakura hesitantly shook her head in a no. "I don't think so." She crinkled her nose in obvious distaste at the feet's awkward position. "Stop moving it. It's gross!"

_What are you waiting for Card Mistress? Isn't it your duty to reseal the cards? Are you afraid? Or perhaps you can't. Yes, I hear it there in your heart. 'I can't. I can't. I can't summon the staff!' You're pathetic!_

                "Shut up!" She gritted her teeth against the mocking voice. "Key of the Star, with powers burning bright reveal the staff, and shine your light. Release!" 

Nothing.

_You needn't bother. I already know. But what will you do now, little Card Mistress? No staff, no power. Maybe I should kill you right now to end your disgraceful existence._

"It doesn't matter!" Sakura hid the key under her light dress. "I am the Card Mistress, staff or no staff!" Fierce determination glowed in her eyes as she calmly stepped on the glowing line that was the Loop. She watched in mild horror as her feet looped behind her. Tomoyo stared at her flabbergasted, unsure of what her friend was planning to do.

"Tomoyo, I know it's painful but can you please stand. Stay as far as you possibly can. I'm not sure what will happen."

Tomoyo nodded in silence, pushing herself upwards then moving to the side. She made a small sigh of relief as she watched her feet return to their normal length and position yet her face grew heavy in worry for her friend. "What are you planning to do?"

Sakura smiled as though to reassure her but she made no reply to Tomoyo's question. She closed her eyes and focused everything unto her aura. She began to build. Opening all her senses, she reached out to all the magic that surrounded her. She could feel them sliding through her fingers like silk, soft and smooth yet strong and sturdy. The tapestry had begun to form as she slid her threads into all their intended places just as she had done with her net. She had lost track of time or feeling as she stayed within her mind, weaving everything into place in an intricate design filled with all the powers she could summon. At last, the weave was complete and she smiled at how well she had made it though unsure if it would indeed serve its purpose. _Only one way to find out. _

With a silent command, the weave began to cover her body from the head, then to the hands to the very tip of her toes. She used her aura to secure everything then began her spell. "Card released from eternal bond, return to your true form. Obey thy contract and thy master! I confine you, Loop!" Her aura glowed as it had never before. Perhaps her spell did work. She willed her tapestry to grow and she watched in pride as it expanded on all sides around her. As she caught hold of the Loop's essence, she wrapped the tight weave around it until it had no chance of escape. With a surge of power, she tightened her hold and at last, the Loop was resealed. Sakura beamed with delight as she watched vapors pass through the holes in her weave then return into the card she held. But she wasn't finished yet.

Her weave began to expand all around her, floating through the breeze and sliding through the grass. She searched for another entity as her weave continued to grow, touching everything around her. She waited patiently, like a spider waits on its web for the fly to come, then jerked when she felt a tug. It had not been what she was searching for but it seemed powerful and almost familiar. She looked around but found nothing except her friend who looked at her skeptically. Then it was gone. _Could I have touched him with my weave? I've never felt anything like it before. It wasn't a card._ She tried to find it once more but the aura no longer surfaced and she found herself staring out into the open as though she had lost her mind. Deciding to resume her search, she waited once more. A few seconds passed until she found her original target, floating happily above the slumbering Cerberus. Before the Card could notice, she caught it within her weave. She tightened her hold as the card began to struggle, then to wiggle, and then finally floated in defeat. She cast her spell once more. "Card released from eternal bond, return to your true form. Obey thy contract and thy master! I confine you, Sleep!"  The weave tightened then expanded as bluish vapors returned to the Sleep card. With a sigh of relief, Sakura collapsed to her feet, hands tightly clutched at her two newly resealed conquests. She had never felt so tired in all her life.

Their surroundings began to waver like a mirage. Slowly, patches of green and brown peeked out from the seemingly infinite picture of perfect sky and grass. The horizon grew bleary then finally dissolved into green leaves and brown trunks. All around them, the scenery had changed.

Tomoyo moved beside her, offering her friend a you-were-wonderful smile with a slight twinkle of mischief that said I-wish-I-could-have-taped-it. Sakura smiled back, obviously pleased with her work though her entire body felt like lead. 

_You did well for an insolent brat. I give you that. Thank you for making my stay a little worthwhile. By the way, how have you been sleeping lately?_

Sakura stood up as quickly as she could but she could no longer support her own weight. "Wait!" She held her breath as she waited for a reply but after a few minutes, nothing came and she slumped back in exhaustion. She held back a yawn as she struggled to keep awake yet her eyes slowly closed of their own accord. Weariness grew heavy on her limbs and she found she could not even will herself to move. She felt hair fall unto her cheeks.

Tomoyo placed her friend's head upon her lap. She looked down at Sakura's pale face. She had grown even more haggard than before. "Sakura? Can you hear me?"

Sakura mumbled a few inaudible words and Tomoyo smiled as her friend struggled to keep one eye open, then another. She almost looked silly with her half closed lids and dreamy expression if she weren't so thin and pale. She decided to let her friend rest.

"Tomoyo?" Sakura's voice was hardly a peep as she fought back another yawn.

Tomoyo soothingly stoked the young girl's auburn locks. "Hmm?"

"I've realized something."

"What is it?"

"You slapped me-yawn-twice to-yawn-day."

"Really?"

Sakura nodded then turned to her side with a small look of hurt on her face. "You're getting good at it."

Tomoyo merely laughed.


End file.
